Repeat Performance

Repeat Performance

Year: 1947

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Alfred L. Werker

FantasyCrimeDrama

When Sheila Page pulls the trigger on New Year’s Eve 1946, time seems to freeze. After killing her husband Barney, she wishes she could relive the year and correct every mistake she made. The universe grants her a second chance, but navigating the same events proves far more complex than she imagined, and escaping fate becomes an unexpected struggle.

Repeat Performance (1947) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Repeat Performance (1947) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the glittering yet unsettled aftermath of World II, New Year’s Eve 1946 finds a modest Manhattan household poised on the brink of change. Sheila Page stands at a crossroads, haunted by a single, irreversible moment that tears the ordinary rhythm of her life apart. The night is charged with the promise of fresh beginnings, but for Sheila the celebration is eclipsed by a lingering sense that every choice she has made—especially those involving her husband Barney—has led her toward a precipice she cannot ignore.

When the clock strikes midnight, a sudden, almost magical pause seems to hang over the world, and in that suspended breath Sheila wishes she could live the year again, to mend the missteps that have come to define her existence. The universe, indifferent yet oddly generous, appears to answer that wish, offering her a chance to step back into the same calendar, the same streets, and the same intimate circles, but with the uncanny awareness that time itself may be less pliable than she hopes.

Returning to the same bustling social scene, Sheila is quickly reminded that the people around her—friends like William, a steady if enigmatic confidant, and the charismatic theatrical producer John Friday—each carry their own ambitions, desires, and secrets. The world of post‑war theater, high‑society gatherings, and the promise of artistic triumph looms large, promising both refuge and new complications. As Sheila navigates familiar venues and rekindles old relationships, the seeming ease of a second chance begins to reveal hidden layers of tension, making every familiar gesture feel both comforting and precarious.

The film drapes its story in a tone that blends wistful nostalgia with an undercurrent of unease, casting 1946 as a living tableau where fate, desire, and the weight of past decisions intersect. In this delicate dance between what was and what might be, Sheila’s quest to rewrite a single year becomes a meditation on the limits of control and the quiet power of a moment’s longing.

Last Updated: December 05, 2025 at 09:51

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Explore Movie Threads

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.

Fatalistic time loop movies like Repeat Performance

Characters relive their worst mistakes, only to find fate is inescapable.If you liked the tragic time-travel premise of Repeat Performance, explore other movies where characters are doomed to repeat their mistakes. These similar films blend fantasy with noir and dark drama, focusing on themes of fate, regret, and the heavy emotional weight of trying—and often failing—to change a grim destiny.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically involve a protagonist who gains foreknowledge of a terrible event, usually through a supernatural reset. Their attempts to intervene create a complex web of cause and effect, where small changes often lead back to the same tragic endpoint, emphasizing a sense of inevitability and exploring the limits of free will.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a specific narrative structure (the tragic time loop) combined with a dark, melancholic tone. They focus on the emotional journey of a character grappling with regret and the crushing realization that some fates cannot be avoided, creating a uniquely anxious and fatalistic viewing experience.

Somber character-driven noir like Repeat Performance

Where personal failure and fate conspire to create a claustrophobic downfall.For viewers who appreciated the anxious, character-focused noir style of Repeat Performance, this list features similar movies with a heavy emotional weight. These dramas use classic noir elements like fatalism and moral complexity to explore intimate stories of marital strife, psychological distress, and bleak personal destinies.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a protagonist, often not a traditional hero, who is caught in a web of their own making—typically involving a fractured relationship and poor choices. As external pressures and internal anxieties mount, they move steadily toward a grim conclusion, with the journey emphasizing mood and psychological tension over action.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films that share a specific noir-inspired vibe: a steady, deliberate pace, a dark and melancholic tone, and a focus on the heavy emotional consequences of personal failure. The similarity lies in the somber, claustrophobic atmosphere and the exploration of fatalism within a domestic or psychological setting.

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Repeat Performance Summary

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Repeat Performance Summary

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Repeat Performance Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Repeat Performance

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Repeat Performance

More About Repeat Performance

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