The October Man

The bus crashes due to faulty steering. Passenger Jim Ackland sustains a serious brain injury, while a young girl under his care is killed. Over the following weeks, a wave of guilt leads him to attempt suicide twice during his recovery.

After months of recovery, Jim starts a new job as an industrial chemist. He also secures a room in a hotel, beginning a solitary routine that keeps him distant from his past. The change marks the start of his new, unstable life.

Jim reluctantly agrees to a night out and meets Jenny Carden, sister of his colleague Harry. They strike up a connection and begin seeing each other regularly. This budding romance becomes a fragile anchor for Jim as he struggles with recovery.

Jim confesses he wants to marry Jenny but wants to be sure he has fully recovered first. He weighs the risk of a new relationship against his fragile health and lingering guilt. The moment deepens their emotional tension as they navigate commitment.

Molly Newman asks to borrow £30 from Jim; lacking cash, he writes a cheque instead. The act cements awkward financial ties and sows unease. The moment preludes the tragedy that follows.

Molly Newman is found strangled the next night, her death shocking the hotel community. The investigation immediately looks for a link to Jim due to the loan, the cheque, and his recent head injury. The event shifts Jim from suspect to central figure in the case.

Jim admits to having been walking near the murder site, fueling police suspicion. The recovered cheque and his head injury reinforce the theory that he is involved. The police begin to view him as the prime suspect or potential blackmailer.

Inspector Godby grows suspicious, suspecting that Molly's killer might be someone entangled with her, not necessarily Jim. The case opens up as investigators juggle suspects and motives. The tension escalates as Jim becomes a focal point.

Jim learns that Mr Peachy, who lived below Molly, lied to police about Jim's presence. When Jim confronts Peachy in Peachy’s room, Peachy finally confesses to killing Molly out of jealousy and to his other financial entanglements. The confession shifts the case dramatically.

Jim goes to the police but they do not believe him, and when officers attempt to take him into custody, he escapes. This desperate act marks a turning point as he becomes hunted rather than a witness. He clings to the belief that proving Peachy's guilt is possible.

Jim chases Peachy to Paddington Station and discovers from a luggage tag that Peachy plans to flee the country by plane. He phones Inspector Godby to relay the information, but the lead seems to go nowhere. The pursuit intensifies the tension.

Following the failed attempt to alert the authorities, Jim contemplates suicide again, overwhelmed by guilt and fear. The internal struggle underscores the film's psychological weight. The moment lingers as he searches for a safe resolution.

A letter Molly had posted to Wilcox just before her death is found and it incriminates Peachy, leading to his arrest. The discovery shifts the investigation toward Peachy as the real killer. The news offers Jim and Jenny a glimmer of relief.

Jenny finds Jim and delivers the good news that Peachy has been arrested and the truth about Molly's murder is coming to light. The couple's relationship is given a chance to recover as justice closes in. The ending underscores the personal redemption theme.