It's heroine versus heroin (sorry) in this genre classic. A blind woman played by Audrey Hepburn unknowingly comes into the possession of a doll filled with drugs so a couple of gangsters must scheme to retrieve it from her. For much of the film Hepburn is left to manage in the dark as it were (sorry again) while the audience is totally cognizant of the bad guys convoluted plans. It is the execution and missteps of the plan that keeps you holding your breath- how much do they have to bumble it before the innocent woman becomes aware of their devious nature and the life and death stakes? Alan Arkin plays against type magnificently and is somewhat of a spiritual predecessor to the calm and talkative villains that would populate Michael Haneke's Funny Games' 30 (and then 40) years later. He and his partner are not above hurting or even killing people but maintain that option as a last resort when it comes to blind young ladies. Wait Until Dark shirks most of the outward violence in favor of complex mind games and stressful moments that hold up surprisingly well nearly half a century on.
Joe Sippy grew up in Chicago and now resides in Los Angeles. He enjoys corn dogs, rap music, and horror movies. On weekends you can find him in the ocean, surfing very poorly.
