An inventive film noir that takes its nocturnal impulse further than most--delving into a world of Freudian dreams and hypnosis, augmented by a mirrored room and candles, an original jazz score, and the use of New Orleans locations. Jazz musician Kevin McCarthy awakens from a nightmare in which he has committed a particularly gruesome murder, to find bloody thumbprints on his body and a mysterious key and button in his possession. He takes the case to his detective brother-in-law, Edward G. Robinson, whose idea of sleuthing is to consult Freud. "The photography in this film, from the opening credits done in wax over McCarthy's eyes illuminated by a candle, is markedly...expressionistic and is aptly reinforced by the score. The use of McCarthy's narration, the exotic bayous and the strange nocturnal odyssey down Bourbon Street...contribute to the film's oneiristic tone." --"Film Noir Encyclopedia," Silver & Ward, ed.