White Face: Just Another Foggy Night in London?

If you're looking for a brisk, moody mystery to kill an hour, White Face might hit the spot. It’s definitely for folks who dig that 1930s British aesthetic—lots of heavy coats, questionable lighting, and people talking in rooms that always seem to be dimly lit. If you hate slow-burn detective stories or can't handle older, slightly creaky dialogue, you'll probably want to skip this one.

The whole thing kicks off with a doctor finding a body in a place you really shouldn't be wandering around at night. It’s a bit of a cliché, but it works because the film doesn't waste time on a long setup. We’re suddenly knee-deep in a blackmail plot involving this elusive 'White Face' character. The masks are... well, they're definitely masks. A bit unsettling in a way that feels intentional, though I suspect the budget had more to do with it.

I found myself watching the background extras more than the main plot at one point. There’s a scene in a pub where the guy in the corner is just staring at a pint for a solid thirty seconds without ever taking a sip. It’s oddly mesmerizing. Maybe he knew the killer was nearby?

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Edgar Wallace's White Face the Fiend (1932) through its definitive frames.

The chemistry between the doctor and the reporter felt a bit stiff, like they were both reading from a script they’d only just received. But then again, that’s kind of the charm of these old Edgar Wallace adaptations. They aren't trying to be deep. They’re just trying to keep you guessing about which guy in a trench coat is actually the villain.

It reminded me a little bit of the pacing in One Good Turn, though this one is much darker and less interested in jokes. It’s got that same sense of being made by people who were just clocking in and out, yet somehow still cared enough to frame a decent shot of a staircase.

Small things I noticed:

• The fog in this movie is practically a character. Sometimes it’s so thick you wonder how they didn't trip over the furniture.
• The dialogue is incredibly snappy. Nobody says two words when one will do, which is refreshing compared to modern stuff.
• There’s a specific door that creaks every single time it opens. I started betting on whether the next person would oil it. They never did.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it probably won't change your life. But for a rainy Tuesday? It’s a nice little time capsule. Just don't expect the mystery to be airtight. Half the fun is pointing at the screen and saying, 'Yeah, that guy's definitely suspicious' right before he does something suspicious.

I wish the ending had a bit more punch, but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it. It’s a solid bit of noir-adjacent fluff from a different era. If you've got an itch for old mysteries, go for it. If not, maybe save it for when you're feeling nostalgic for black-and-white shadows and questionable disguises. 🕵️‍♂️