The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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Plunder Road
Crime · Drama · 1957
A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.
Movie details
Plunder Road
“Crime of the century!”
1957 Crime · Drama 1h 12m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.9 / 10
Community rating
A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Plunder Road?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Pitfall
Drama · 1948
An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.
The Damned Don't Cry
Crime · 1950
Fed up with her small-town marriage, a woman goes after the big time and gets mixed up with the mob.
Framed
Crime · 1947
Truck driver Mike Lambert is a down-and-out mining engineer searching for a job. When his rig breaks down in a small town, he happens upon a venomous seductress. When her boyfriend robs a bank, they intend to frame Lambert.
Johnny O'Clock
Crime · 1947
When an employee at an illegal gambling den dies suspiciously, her sister, Nancy, looks into the situation and falls for Johnny O'Clock, a suave partner in the underground casino. Selfish and non-committal by nature, Johnny slowly begins to return Nancy's affection and decides to run away with her, but conflict within his business threatens their plans. As Johnny tries to distance himself from the casino, his shady past comes back to haunt him.
House of Bamboo
Crime · 1955
Eddie Kenner is given a special assignment by the Army to get the inside story on Sandy Dawson, a former GI who has formed a gang of fellow servicemen and Japanese locals.
The Big Knife
Crime · 1955
Movie star Charlie Castle draws the ire of Hollywood producer Stanley Hoff when he refuses to sign a new seven-year contract. Castle is sick of the low quality of the studio's films and wants to start a new life. While his estranged wife supports him in the decision, Castle's talent agent urges him to reconsider. When Castle continues to be uncooperative, Hoff resorts to blackmail in order to get his way.
Odd Man Out
Crime · 1947
Belfast police conduct a door-to-door manhunt for an IRA gunman wounded in a daring robbery.
Odds Against Tomorrow
Crime · 1959
An old-time crook plans a heist. When one of his two partners is found out to be a black man tensions flare.
Each Dawn I Die
Crime · 1939
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
They Made Me a Fugitive
Drama · 1947
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Hubert Cornfield
Written by
Steven Ritch · Jack Charney
Gene Raymond
Eddie Harris
Jeanne Cooper
Fran Werner
Wayne Morris
Commando Munson
Elisha Cook Jr.
Skeets Jonas
Stafford Repp
Roly Adams
Steven Ritch
Frankie Chardo
Harry Tyler
Gas station attendant
Court is in session
Put Plunder Road on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.