Ida Lupino’s gritty noir deserves to become a classic of the thriller genre. A favourite of Martin Scorsese, this true crime story will leave you unsettled. Based on the case of psychopathic murderer Billy Cook, the story begins with two friends (Edmund O’Brien and Frank Lovejoy) taking a fishing trip. Picking up a hitchhiker (William Talman), they quickly realise their mistake as he forces them on a grim road trip, fleeing a killing spree. The hitcher is a demonic figure, sadistically taunting the two men and frustrating their escape attempts with nail-biting results.  

A fascinating study of gruesome masculinity, interpreted by a trailblazing independent female director, this is a terrifyingly real ride into the heart of darkness.