Criss Cross is arguably the most complete noir of the classic era. It combines archetypal characters — a doomed protagonist, a calculating femme fatale, a reptilian hoodlum — with the tale of a meticulously planned then botched heist, all seasoned by a complex flashback and Lancaster’s self-deluding voice over. For the perfect introduction to classic Los Angeles noir, there can be no better place to start than here. — Ballinger and Graydon

Proving that superior noir is a matter of style over content, director Siodmak assembles a prototype tale. — Glenn Erickson

An archly noir story replete with triple and quadruple crosses, leading up to one of the most shockingly cynical endings in the whole genre. — Dave Kehr