
The Desperate Hours(1955)
Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.


“SENSATIONAL SUSPENSE DRAMA!”
A gang hold a family hostage in their own home. The leader of the escaped cons is bothered by a recurring dream that the doctor of the house may be able to analyze.

William Holden
Al Walker

Nina Foch
Betty

Lee J. Cobb
Dr. Andrew Collins

Adele Jergens
Laura Stevens

Stephen Dunne
Owen Talbot

Lois Maxwell
Ruth Collins

Berry Kroeger
Mike

Steven Geray
Prof. Fred Linder

Wilton Graff
Frank Stevens

Robert Osterloh
Pete
The Dark Past is a crime, thriller, drama film released in 1948 exploring themes of remake, film noir, family hostage. Directed by Rudolph Maté, it stars William Holden, Nina Foch, Lee J. Cobb. A gang hold a family hostage in their own home. The leader of the escaped cons is bothered by a recurring dream that the doctor of the house may be able to analyze.
Discover titles like The Dark Past — ranked by similarity and community votes
We found 15 movies similar to The Dark Past
If you enjoyed The Dark Past, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Dark Past.

Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.

An escaped con, on the run from the law, moves into a married couple's house and takes over their lives.

Two hoodlum brothers are brought into hospital for gunshot wounds, and when one dies, the other accuses their Black doctor of murder.

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.

A bedridden and gravely ill man believes his wife and doctor are conspiring to kill him, and outlines his suspicions in a letter.

The wife of a psychoanalyst falls prey to a devious quack hypnotist when he discovers she is an habitual shoplifter. Then one of his previous patients now being treated by the real doctor is found murdered, with her still at the scene, and suspicion points only one way.

After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.

Roy and Gilbert's fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, makes it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.

A woman fights to convince the police that she witnessed a murder while looking out her bedroom window.

A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case.

Fed up with her small-town marriage, a woman goes after the big time and gets mixed up with the mob.

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

An insurance representative is seduced by a dissatisfied housewife into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, a claims investigator.

With three days before his paper folds, a crusading editor tries to expose a vicious gangster.