A pair of friends on a fishing trip stuck inside a car with a psychotic killer on the run holding a gun in the back seat. Despite the simplicity of its plot, it's a very effective horror thriller as it runs a very tight 71 minutes with good doses of tension and manages to keep it to the very end, thanks to the score and claustrophobic atmosphere. What really sells the film for me is the performances from three lead characters. William Talman makes an intimidating villain while Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy are both good as his captives.

Decent noir-ish film inspired by a true crime spree. Must watch more Ida Lupino.

Ida Lupino has surprised us with this film, we did not expect much, the script and direction keeps the suspense. The Hitcher seems to have been inspired by this film.

[5.75/10] This film was a compelling adaptation for its time. Released just a few months after the execution of the real-life criminal Billy Cook, it tackled a surprisingly current story. William Talman played a convincing sociopath, though it would have been interesting to see a character that was a bit closer in age to Billy Cook. In any case, Talman alongside the desert setting were the film’s most memorable elements. Rating the film was a challenge because I feel fairly removed from the scenario, and the film noir style is something I’m not super familiar with. Perhaps after watching more classic film noir, I’ll be able to form a stronger opinion. I watched this one in celebration of Women’s History Month since it was the first (and only?) mainstream film noir directed by a woman.