The Narrow Margin (1952)

This film has a tight and tense storyline which delivers great onscreen drama and tension in just 71 minutes. Every character except for the ultra-reliable Sgt Brown (Charles McGraw) is not entirely what they seem, apparent enemies turn out to be friends and friends inadvertently assist enemies.

​The film is filled with fabulous noir dialogue which is biting and witty at the same time, and the characters are all hard-boiled but with key characters still having a soft centre.

The claustrophobia of the train's carriages add to the tension of the film and the clever use the train's whistle (piercing... like a woman's scream), the engine's driving wheels, and the moments when the train passes through a tunnel are moments which jolt with a combination of tension and fear.
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​It's a film which seems to end too soon, but doesn't waste a moment of screen time.

What are your thoughts?

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