Strange Cargo (1929) is a weird, creaky boat mystery worth a look

If you have about an hour and you like old movies that feel like they were filmed in a haunted basement, Strange Cargo is worth your time. It’s definitely for people who enjoy closed-room mysteries where everyone is a suspect. If you hate movies where people stand around and talk about their feelings in a slightly robotic way, you should probably skip this and watch The Patent Leather Kid instead.

The whole thing takes place on a ship. It’s a very small feeling ship, probably because it was a movie set, but it works. Sir Richard is the guy who dies—well, we think he dies. He disappears, and since he was a pretty terrible person, nobody is really crying about it.

The movie list of suspects is like a checklist for 1920s tropes. You’ve got a surgeon, a criminal, and even a spiritualist. The spiritualist is my favorite because she looks like she’s constantly seeing a ghost just off-camera. It makes the scenes feel a bit spookier than they probably should be.

I noticed that the acting is very... transitional. Since it came out in 1929, some actors are still doing the big silent movie eyes. Others are trying to talk like normal humans. It creates this uneven rhythm that kept me awake just because I was trying to figure out what the director was thinking.

Lee Patrick is in this, and she’s actually pretty good. She plays the girl who was wronged by Sir Richard. You can tell she’s going to be a star later on because she doesn't overact as much as the guys. The brother character is a bit much, though. He’s very angry, all the time, for no real reason other than the script says so.

There is this one scene where they are searching for the body. They look in these tiny cupboards and under tables. It’s kind of funny because Sir Richard was a grown man. He’s not going to be hiding in a bread box. The logic is a bit thin here, but that’s okay.

The sound is also a bit of a mess. Sometimes a door slams and it sounds like a gunshot. Other times, someone drops something and it’s totally silent. It’s like the sound guy was learning on the job. I kind of liked it, though. It made the movie feel more alive and less like a polished product.

I found myself wondering about the "cargo" in the title. The ship is called the Strange Cargo, but we don't see much cargo. Mostly just people in suits arguing in the dark. It’s much more of a mood piece than a high-stakes thriller.

If you're looking for something more upbeat, Adventure Mad might be a better choice. This movie is pretty gloomy. Even when they aren't talking about the murder, the lighting is very dark. Shadows are everywhere.

One thing that really stuck out was the surgeon. He carries his bag everywhere. I mean everywhere. Even when he’s just having a drink. It makes him look super suspicious, which I guess is the point. But it’s also just funny to see a guy clutching a medical bag like it’s a security blanket.

The ending comes up pretty fast. It doesn't really explain everything perfectly. Some things are just left hanging, which I actually prefer sometimes. Real life doesn't always have a neat ending, so why should a boat murder mystery? It’s not as clean as Marriage for Convenience, that's for sure.

I did find a few parts boring. There’s a lot of walking up and down stairs. A lot. I think they just wanted to show off that they had a two-story set. But the atmosphere kept me hooked. It’s got that grainy, dusty vibe that makes you want to wear a trench coat and smoke a pipe.

Don't expect a masterpiece. It’s a B-movie from a time when they were still figuring out how to make talkies. But it’s got character. It’s better than The Whip Woman if you ask me. At least things actually happen on this boat.

In short: watch it if you like foggy nights and people pointing fingers. Skip it if you need the plot to make 100% sense. I’m glad I watched it, even if I forgot half the characters' names five minutes after it ended. 🚢🕵️‍♂️

Things I Noticed:

• The hats are all very aggressive. Everyone’s brim is pulled down way too low.
• The way the camera shakes during the storm scenes is actually pretty effective.
• Ned Sparks has a great face for this kind of thing. He looks like he’s smelling something bad the whole time.
• The spiritualist lady’s jewelry is loud. You can almost hear it clinking in the quiet scenes.