MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Don't Bother to Knock

Don't Bother to Knock

1952 · 76 min

A tense, claustrophobic character study that keeps you on edge as a fragile situation spirals into danger.

Directed by
Roy Ward Baker
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Starring
Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft
Tagline
… a wicked sensation as the lonely girl in room 809!
Overview
An airline pilot pursues a live-in babysitter at his hotel and gradually realizes she is not as stable as perhaps she should be.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Roy Ward Baker
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Starring
Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • eeriestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • madness
  • isolation
  • grief
  • deception
  • redemption
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror4
Humour2
Realism7
Romance4
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like Don't Bother to Knock

Movie

Verity

2026

A sleek, chilly thriller that keeps you uneasy, constantly second-guessing what's real and who's lying.

Tense, dark · about grief and deception

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • grief
  • deception
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
117 min
Details
VerityHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Streetcar Named Desire

1951

A claustrophobic, emotionally raw descent into delusion and cruelty, powered by towering performances and a sweaty, oppressive atmosphere.

Tense, dark · about madness and isolation · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
  • isolation
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
122 min
Details
A Streetcar Named DesireHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Psycho

1960

A slow-building, unsettling experience that tightens its grip with eerie atmosphere and a shocking twist.

Tense, dark · about madness and isolation · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
  • isolation
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
109 min
Details
PsychoHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Hotel New Hampshire

1984

A bittersweet, eccentric family saga that veers between whimsy and tragedy, leaving a lingering sense of affection for its oddball characters.

Dark, melancholic · about grief

Via
  • dark
  • melancholic
  • grief
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
The Hotel New HampshireHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Rear Window

1954

A voyeuristic slow-burn that tightens like a vise, letting you share the hero's helpless suspense and guilty thrill.

Tense, dark · about isolation and deception · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • isolation
  • deception
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details
Rear WindowHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Play Misty for Me

1971

A slow dread creeps in as charm curdles into menace, leaving you uneasy long after the radio goes quiet.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about madness and isolation

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
  • isolation
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details
Play Misty for MeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Gaslight

1944

A suffocating slow creep of doubt, where flickering light and a husband's soft voice make you question what is real.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about madness and isolation

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
  • isolation
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
114 min
Details
GaslightHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Black Swan

2010

A suffocating, hypnotic descent into obsession and madness, where beauty and horror blur until you can't look away.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about madness

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
108 min
Details
Black SwanHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Klute

1971

A slow-burn, psychologically tense character study that immerses you in a paranoid, melancholic atmosphere of urban isolation.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about isolation

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • isolation
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
114 min
Details
KluteHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Repulsion

1965

A slow, suffocating descent into a fractured mind, where ordinary rooms turn menacing and every sound feels like a threat.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about madness and isolation · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • madness
  • isolation
  • single location
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
105 min
Details
RepulsionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Rosemary's Baby

1968

A slow, suffocating creep into paranoia, where everyday domesticity turns sinister and the dread lingers long after.

Tense, dark, slow-burn · about isolation · single location

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • isolation
  • single location
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
138 min
Details
Rosemary's BabyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Magnolia

1999

A sprawling, emotionally intense mosaic that sweeps you through interconnected lives with raw performances and surreal moments, demanding full attention.

Tense, melancholic, slow-burn · about isolation and grief

Via
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • isolation
  • grief
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
189 min
Details
MagnoliaHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, thriller
Directed by
Roy Ward Baker
Written by
Daniel Taradash
Starring
Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Donna Corcoran, Jeanne Cagney, Lurene Tuttle, Elisha Cook Jr., Jim Backus
Music
Lionel Newman
Cinematography
Lucien Ballard
Runtime
76 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata