Force of Evil
1948 · Movie · NR · 79 min · ★ 6.6 · 95% critics
An ambitious lawyer tries to reshape the city’s small-time numbers rackets into one powerful operation. But his elder brother runs a small setup and wants to stay that way, creating constant friction as bigger forces move in and pressure everyone involved.
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Details
- Years
- 1948
- Release date
- 1950-08-24
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 79 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (140 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this stylish, talky crime noir with a tense corruption plot and memorable dialogue, especially if you like The Big Combo or Body and Soul; Not for you if you want a straightforward, uplifting story or you dislike romance subplots in noir.
Pros: gripping noir tension; razor-sharp dialogue; strong cast performances | Cons: melodramatic romance; uneven pacing; bleak tone
Themes
- new york city
- gangster
- film noir
- lawyer
- numbers racket
- brother brother relationship
Cast & crew
John Garfield
as Joe Morse
Thomas Gomez
as Leo Morse
Marie Windsor
as Edna Tucker
Howland Chamberlain
as Freddie Bauer
Roy Roberts
as Ben Tucker
Paul Fix
as Bill Ficco
Stanley Prager
as Wally
Barry Kelley
as Detective Egan
Paul McVey
as Hobe Wheelock
Beatrice Pearson
as Doris Lowry
Directed by Abraham Polonsky