Don't Bother to Knock

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Erin A. @erina Feb 19, 2026 No one seems to mention this film when discussing the tiny yet gigantic career of Marylin Monroe. Forever hitched to her role as a bombshell, her acting talent was often framed as an incidental, yet pleasant surprise, or wasn’t mentioned at all. That said, ‘Don’t Bother to Knock’ is easily a most underrated Monroe gem. Although she’s as visually stunning here as anywhere else, it’s her haunting performance as a troubled young woman wandering the fringes of grief and insanity that truly stands out in this stylish, off the beaten path picture from 1952. See more Insomniac X @RT03001349 Feb 6, 2025 A blend of romantic drama and psychological thriller, starring Marilyn Monroe as a disturbed young woman haunted by grief. Monroe's performance is credible, sincere, and at times quite moving -- it's easy to understand why the shot of her sliding tearfully down a hotel hallway made enough of an impression on Scorsese for him to later borrow it for "Casino." However, while the film makes good use of its spatially and emotionally confined hotel setting, it struggles to provide a consistently engaging story, leaving viewers to imagine the classic it could have been. See more Sam N @RT61650855 Jan 9, 2025 Monroe delivers an incredible turn—her doe-eyed fragility and deep vulnerability feel so authentic, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. She brings a surprising amount of sympathy to a character battling mental illness, a rarity for the 1950s, when such issues were typically reduced to caricature. The story escalates quickly, far more intense than I expected, balancing tension and melancholy with striking efficiency.The film isn’t without its flaws, but the tension and Monroe’s raw, layered performance make it a fascinating watch. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s far better and bolder than I expected. A hidden gem. See more Rare T @RT00283363 Sep 10, 2024 This is what movies should be like. At just 75 minutes, Don’t Bother to Knock avoids all unnecessary convolutions and rather focuses on the raw plot, which in turn is engaging and carries a message. Marilyn Monroe specifically gives an impressive performance to say the least, in one of her very few such roles with such emotion and psyche involved. This is compelling cinema at its finest. See more princeofwaldo T @RT26528424 Jun 14, 2024 Eisha Cook is soooo totally in character. Ditto Widmark and Bancroft. But Monroe, --what a departure from her stereotypical persona! In addition, Jim Backus and other supporting character acting that is first-rate all the way. Fresh and stimulating for its original screenplay, however it becomes increasingly morose as the story plays out. Recommended, but not one you'll likely want to see more than once. See more erroll f @Repok Nov 29, 2023 An impressive early role for Marilyn Monroe who plays Nell a mentally unbalanced woman who was traumatized when her boyfriend was lost in the Pacific during WW2. Richard Widmark plays a gad about pilot who Nell believes is her lost boyfriend. See more Read all reviews

Don't Bother to Knock

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