Alberto Cavalcanti was a Brazilian-born, Swiss-educated architect and lawyer, who went on to direct such praised British films as Dead of Night (the ventriloquist's dummy episode) and Went the Day Well?, while also turning out this grim, but largely absorbing example of British film noir. Trevor Howard leads a strong cast in the story of an ex-RAF pilot for whom things go from bad to worse. Influential in its day, it has some cinematic interest now.

After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.