Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

The critic hails the film as the gripping, nightmare flipside of The Maltese Falcon, with one of cinema's greatest MacGuffins at its centre. The labyrinthine trail of pursuit through an underworld of violence and the cold, bleak material filmed in shadows are singled out.

The critic calls it a top-notch, influential film noir whose reputation has only grown, praising its tougher-than-nails characters, stark photography, and harsh environment as making it more noir than most. It singles out the reissue's collector's edition extras for highlighting its classic status.

The critic views the film as the ultimate expression of nihilism in noir, far darker than typical cynicism, with its amoral protagonist and apocalyptic ending revealing a world without ethical structures. It singles out the disorienting opening sequence and the mysterious 'Great Whatsit' for their shocking, contemporary impact.

The critic calls the film flamboyant and hectic, blending sexual voracity, sadism, found poetry, sharp performances, and visual invention with nuclear catastrophe. It singles out the haunting musical quality of the actors' voices and Aldrich's images in a vision of ambient terror.

The critic recommends the film as a key B-noir with major influence on the French New Wave and as a potent artifact of Cold War paranoia. It singles out the rich period detail and striking compositions for demanding a big-screen viewing.

The critic celebrates the film's lasting influence on later filmmakers like Cronenberg and Lynch while highlighting its paranoid vision of post-atomic America. It singles out the intense opening sequence and the apocalyptic finale for their raw power and thematic weight.

The review praises the film's influential status among young French critics and its singular vision imposed on a popular genre. It singles out the Criterion restoration's visual quality and the restored ending for providing a semblance of reassurance amid the paranoia.

The critic highlights the film's nihilistic view of the world, where morality is an illusion and the story culminates in apocalyptic imagery. It singles out the moral darkness and post-war disillusionment as central to its power.

The critic describes the film as one of the darkest and least compromising noirs, an anti-nuclear parable disguised as a tough-guy detective story. The real, specific radioactive contents of the mysterious box are singled out as the element that gives the film its meaning and contemporary resonance.

The review notes that the hardboiled elements from Spillane's novels are thoroughly worked over with an acceptable performance from Ralph Meeker as the surly detective. It singles out the exciting adventures but complains of little clarity in the plot.

The critic hails it as the greatest hardboiled apocalyptic sci-fi noir ever, praising its nihilistic vision, brutal tone, and apocalyptic climax that reflects the era's paranoia, in contrast to more stylized noirs.

The critic describes the film's paranoid world and Cold War dread, praising how it distills nuclear fears into noir with intense stylization by Aldrich. They note it took the genre as far as it could without self-parody.

Praises it as the last great and darkest film noir, highlighting its contemporary relevance through Cold War nuclear themes and masterful cinematography that captures the underworld.

The critic calls it the best of the Mike Hammer adaptations and praises its classic noir elements, sharp dialogue, powerful thrills and scares, and strong performances, especially Ralph Meeker's. She notes that some aspects like the central plot point and ethnic stereotypes may not land as well with modern viewers.