The Frightened City

In my current phase of watching British black-and-white crime films, I’ve been picking titles completely at random, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Herbert Lom once again plays the main villain in this film. Even though his character didn’t get a ton of screen time, it was a nice surprise. The movie is clearly dominated by a certain unnamed Scottish Highlander, and I have to say, I was pretty entertained throughout. The main downside for me was that Britain at the time was culturally and legally more restrained, so it couldn’t quite compete with the American gangster films where the action was nonstop and the weapons could supply a small army. Because of that, this gangster flick felt a bit too subdued for my taste. But it still had its moments, and overall, I was a pretty satisfied viewer. Lesson learned: Watch out for the French, no matter their gender. 3*+ (08/31/2024)