85
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertOut 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.
- 100The DissolveKeith PhippsThe DissolveKeith PhippsOut Of The Past is undeniably a film noir, and rightly regarded as one of the genre’s best.
- 100San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleOut of the Past is cinematic perfection, a Hollywood classic that's as great and as enjoyable as its reputation has promised.
- 90Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrThe most delicate and nuanced of film noirs, graced with a reflective lyricism that almost lifts it out of the genre.
- 90The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasQuintessential noir.
- 80The New YorkerRichard BrodyThe New YorkerRichard BrodyThe intricate story moves through New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico, and picturesque points in between, but Tourneur cooks up shot-by-shot surprises that outdo those of the screenplay.
- The players acquit themselves histrionically if not morally. Mitchum, [Kirk] Douglas and the Misses [Jane] Greer and [Rhonda] Fleming are all commendable.
- 70Out of the Past is a hardboiled melodrama [from the novel by Geoffrey Homes] strong on characterization. Direction by Jacques Tourneur pays close attention to mood development, achieving realistic flavor that is further emphasized by real life settings and topnotch lensing by Nicholas Musuraca.
- 60The New York TimesBosley CrowtherThe New York TimesBosley CrowtherThe style is still sharp and realistic, the dialogue still crackles with verbal sparks and the action is still crisp and muscular, not to mention slightly wanton in spots. But the pattern and purpose of it is beyond our pedestrian ken.