X
  • 1947
  • Approved
  • RKO Radio Pictures
  • 1 h 37 m
  • 1947
  • Approved
  • RKO Radio Pictures
  • 1 h 37 m
Out of the Past

Summary A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses and duplicitous dames.

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

Written By: Daniel Mainwaring, James M. Cain, Frank Fenton

  • 1947
  • Approved
  • RKO Radio Pictures
  • 1 h 37 m
  • 1947
  • Approved
  • RKO Radio Pictures
  • 1 h 37 m

Out of the Past

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews
must-see
85
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings
7.8
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses and duplicitous dames.

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

Written By: Daniel Mainwaring, James M. Cain, Frank Fenton

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews
85
84% Positive
16 Reviews
16% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews
85
84% Positive
16 Reviews
16% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
This quintessential film noir catapulted contract player Robert Mitchum into superstardom and set the standard for the genre for years to come.
FULL REVIEW
100
Past, an inestimable collaboration by Tourneur and Mitchum, is not just one fine noir film among many. It has been a guage for the genre, even a template, over the last 50 years.
FULL REVIEW
100
Out of the Past is one of the greatest of all film noirs, the story of a man who tries to break with his past and his weakness and start over again in a town, with a new job and a new girl.
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
90
The most delicate and nuanced of film noirs, graced with a reflective lyricism that almost lifts it out of the genre.
By Dave Kehr FULL REVIEW
80
If you have any taste for film noir -- that Chandler-esque American style that had its heyday in the '40s and '50s -- this film is a must: one of the classics of the genre. [02 Jun 1987, p.8]
By Michael Wilmington FULL REVIEW
70
The players acquit themselves histrionically if not morally. Mitchum, [Kirk] Douglas and the Misses [Jane] Greer and [Rhonda] Fleming are all commendable.
FULL REVIEW
50
Fairly well played, and very well photographed (by Nicholas Musuraca), the action develops a routine kind of pseudo-tension.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings
7.8
88% Positive
7 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings
7.8
88% Positive
7 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company RKO Radio Pictures
Release Date Dec 1, 1947
Duration 1 h 37 m
Rating Approved
Genres
Tagline Out Of A Past Black As Night comes a crime scarlet as their guilty love!
View All Details

Awards

National Film Preservation Board, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

Related Movies

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Rashomon

98
Universal Acclaim

The Night of the Hunter

97
Universal Acclaim

Rififi (re-release)

97
Universal Acclaim

The Maltese Falcon

97
Universal Acclaim

12 Angry Men

97
Universal Acclaim

Mean Streets

96
Universal Acclaim

Pulp Fiction

95
Universal Acclaim

Collective

95
Universal Acclaim

Double Indemnity

95
Universal Acclaim

Taxi Driver

94
Universal Acclaim

The Irishman

94
Universal Acclaim

Carlos

94
Universal Acclaim

The French Connection

94
Universal Acclaim

Elevator to the Gallows

94
Universal Acclaim

Shoplifters

93
Universal Acclaim

The 39 Steps

93
Universal Acclaim

Uncut Gems

93
Universal Acclaim

Band of Outsiders

93
Universal Acclaim

Days of Being Wild (re-release)

93
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie