Doomed to Die: A Strange Cup of Coffee with Death

There are Tuesdays when life just throws you something a bit odd. Last night, that thing was Doomed to Die. I’ve seen my share of noir flicks, you know, grey city streets, hats, and murder in the rain. This one though… bit like having kåldolmar with ketchup. Surprising, and maybe not exactly what you crave.

Boris Karloff showing up—yeah, Frankenstein’s monster himself—sets the mood right off. He’s got that stare, like when you’ve taken the last kanelbulle and grandma sees you. He plays Mr. Wong, a Chinese detective (yikes, feels very wrong today, but that’s Hollywood 1940’s for you). The director, William Nigh, I remember mostly from a weird double bill at Filmstaden back in 1998. We bought too many kina-puffar and nearly missed the twist at the end because some guy next to us wouldn’t stop whistling.

The story? Oh, it’s murder, accusation, clever little clues everywhere. Pacing’s a bit of a mess, like the Pendeltåg on a snowy March morning. Sometimes things zip along, then suddenly you’re stuck watching someone light a pipe for ages. Karloff does his best, but talk about typecasting! There’s Marjorie Reynolds too, but she doesn’t get much to do except gasp and look worried. Sucks for her, honestly.

One thing that really hit me: the whole “caught for a crime you didn’t commit” thing. Reminds me of the time I got blamed for crashing dad’s Vectra in ‘93. Same helpless frustration, except with way less jazz soundtrack.

Anyway, watch it if you want randomness and Karloff’s grumpy genius, maybe with an old-school fika. It’s weird, a bit outdated, but sometimes that’s half the charm. But don’t expect to feel super smart figuring out the plot – it sort of just happens to you.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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