D.O.A.

Year: 1949

Runtime: 83 mins

Language: English

Director: Rudolph Maté

CrimeMysteryThriller

Frank Bigelow, a seasoned accountant, discovers he’s been poisoned and has just 24 hours before the toxin kills him. Determined to uncover his murderer, he teams with his assistant‑girlfriend Paula to retrace his last movements. Their frantic sleuthing exposes a web of crooked businessmen and culminates in another murder, delivering a fast‑paced, noir‑style race against time.

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Timeline & Setting – D.O.A. (1949)

Explore the full timeline and setting of D.O.A. (1949). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 at 12:31

Main Characters – D.O.A. (1949)

Meet the key characters of D.O.A. (1949), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 at 12:31

Major Themes – D.O.A. (1949)

Explore the central themes of D.O.A. (1949), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 at 12:31

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Ticking clock thrillers with a grim fate like in D.O.A.

Desperate protagonists racing against time in a world without hope.If you loved the high-stakes desperation of D.O.A., you'll find similar tension in these movies where characters have a literal or figurative deadline. This collection features fast-paced, intense thrillers and mysteries about desperate individuals racing against an inevitable outcome, perfect for fans of fatalistic crime stories.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often begin with a catastrophic revelation that sets an irreversible countdown in motion. The protagonist's journey is less about achieving a happy ending and more about finding meaning, truth, or revenge before their time runs out, creating a structure of escalating urgency and grim acceptance.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared core premise of a protagonist facing an unavoidable doom, which creates a unique blend of frantic pacing, high intensity, and a bleak, fatalistic mood. The experience is defined by the relentless tension of the race against time and the emotional weight of impending loss.

Noir mysteries where the victim is the detective like in D.O.A.

When the victim of a crime becomes the lead investigator in their own case.For viewers who enjoyed the unique premise of D.O.A., this collection features movies where the protagonist is the victim of the crime they are solving. These complex, tense thrillers focus on personal vengeance, high-stakes investigations, and the grim reevaluation of one's life that comes from being at the center of a sinister plot.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves an ordinary person thrust into a dangerous investigation after being personally wronged. Their search for answers is as much an internal journey of disillusionment and self-discovery as it is an external pursuit of justice, often set against a corrupt or indifferent world.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a powerful emotional hook: the deeply personal motivation of the protagonist. This creates a unique blend of mystery, character study, and intense thriller, where the viewer's empathy is locked into the hero's desperate quest for truth and retribution.

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D.O.A. Summary

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D.O.A. Timeline

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D.O.A. Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About D.O.A.

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Similar Movies to D.O.A.

Discover movies like D.O.A. that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.