While I was not completely head over heels for this film, I did enjoy its film noir qualities. I like that it was kind of a combination of genres. It was a suspenseful, crime, murder mystery; which is an undeniable combination. I thought it was both creative and creepy that Lorre's character was always shown lurking around and then finally speaking towards the end of the film. It really added to the spooky quality that made this film more appealing to me. I thought some of the shots were really creative and original as well as the overall chilling mood. The two main characters were not the most stellar actors in my opinion, I have read that some do not even think Peter Lorre did a good job in this film and, I will have to respectfully disagree with that. I kind of felt that the film ended suddenly, I know it is a shorter length film but I guess I just wanted more closure on the characters. I felt like the whole mystery was solved way too fast. Maybe I am just used to these modern day films that try to take the audience on countless twists and turns before revealing the truth. I really enjoyed that dream sequence; it was so strange and captivating all at the same time. My feelings on this film are not passionate but not completely passive. I acknowledge that it was a remarkable film for it's time given that some consider it the first "film noir" movie but, I just wanted a little bit more. The few suspenseful scenes were really enjoyable to watch and I wanted more from the film as a whole.
Review of Stranger on the Third Floor
