The Suspect

The Suspect has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Charles Laughton leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

There is a reason The Suspect keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting gives The Suspect its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Genial shopkeeper Philip has to endure the constant nagging of a shrewish wife while he secretly yearns for a pretty young stenographer. When the henpecking gets to be too much, Philip murders his wife and manages to make her death look like an accident. A ruthless blackmailer and a low-key detective both discover Philip's secret, and he has to decide which of them poses the more dangerous threat. Charles Laughton and Ella Raines lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1945. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — The Suspect passes that test consistently. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find The Suspect proves them wrong. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Charles Laughton carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.