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6.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. One Is Guilty remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like your mysteries served with a side of overstuffed plot and people acting suspicious in hallways, sure. It’s a lean, dusty little flick that moves fast even when it’s making absolutely no sense. If you need a clean, logical ending, stay far away. This is pure, messy 1930s pulp.
The whole setup at the Radford Arms is pretty great. It’s a bank-owned high-rise that’s supposed to be empty, yet it’s crawling with people who clearly didn’t get the memo. You’ve got the caretaker, the squatting secretary, and enough shady characters to fill a precinct lobby. It feels like a stage play that got lost on the way to the studio.
Inspector Trent walks in, and suddenly we are drowning in evidence. I mean, honestly, the amount of stuff found in that one room is ridiculous. Cigarette butts with different lipsticks, a watch with a broken hand, perfume-drenched handkerchiefs—it’s like the murderer was playing a game of Clue and lost on purpose. 🕵️♂️
The pacing is a bit of a head-scratcher. Trent spends so much time poking at lint and paper scraps that you forget why the guy was even killed in the first place. Sometimes I think he’s just stalling to keep the movie from ending before the credits roll. It reminded me a bit of the frantic, slightly chaotic energy in The Haunted House, where everyone is just kind of bumping into each other in the dark.
Ralph Bellamy plays the detective with this dry, patient look that says he knows the script is a bit of a mess, but he’s gonna finish it anyway. There’s a scene where he’s obsessing over a pocket watch that only tells the right time twice a day. It’s a cool bit of trivia, but it feels like the movie is desperately trying to be smarter than it actually is. 🙄
The suspects? A total mixed bag. You’ve got the usual angry manager types and the "high-society" dames. They all have lines that sound like they were pulled out of a hat. Nobody talks like a human being, but then again, nobody goes to a movie like this for the realism.
The title is a total lie, by the way. I won't spoil why, but let’s just say the math doesn't quite add up. It’s a weird, minor little movie that feels like it belongs on a late-night cable channel in 1994. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a decent way to kill fifty minutes if you don't mind a headache.
Just don't try to keep track of the lipstick shades. You'll lose. I sure did.
IMDb 5.9
1916
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