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Poster for The Key

The Key

1958 · 134 min

A somber, salt-sprayed wartime romance where dread and tenderness share the same cramped flat, and every quiet moment carries the weight of the next mission.

Directed by
Carol Reed
Genres
Drama, Romance, War
Tagline
He had the life expectancy of a match.
Overview
In wartime England, circa 1941, poorly-armed tugs are sent into "U-Boat Alley" to rescue damaged Allied ships. An American named David Ross arrives to captain one of these tugs. He's given a key by a fellow tugboat-man -- a key to an apartment and its pretty female resident. Should something happen to the friend, Ross can use the key.
How it feels
Melancholic, tense, romantic and dark. Measured and needs your attention.
About
War, love, fate, grief
Content
Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.
Note
Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Free in the US
  • Tubi TV
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Carol Reed
Genres
Drama, Romance, War
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown
Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • war
  • love
  • fate
  • grief
  • survival
Places
  • sea
  • big city
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror2
Humour1
Realism7
Romance6
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

Cast

Where to watch in the US

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, romance, war
Directed by
Carol Reed
Written by
Carl Foreman
Starring
William Holden, Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee, Oskar Homolka, Kieron Moore, Noel Purcell, Bryan Forbes
Music
Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography
Oswald Morris
Runtime
134 min
Country
United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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