Review of Kiss Me Deadly (1955) by Benjamin S — 06 Jun 2007

This movie is both of its time and ahead of its time. It has the mysterious noir feel, but it's as fast-paced as an actioner. As easy to watch as Basic Instinct but as satisfying as Chinatown. And possibly creepier than either manage to be.

I am not familiar with Aldrich's work, but, based on this movie, I think he's as meticulous, creative, and clever as Hitchcock. This movie contains all the best elements of '50s noir as well as '50s Sci-Fi/Horror.

A little over-the-top, to say the least, but if you enjoy the sort of movie that takes cliches of its time and stretches them to their artistic extremes, you should probably watch it. One of the few movies that left me feeling completely satisfied when it ended, and still left me completely satisfied when I thought about it later.

But don't let that raise your hopes too much. Just watch it.