Three Strangers

Crystal lures two strangers, Jerome K. Arbutny and Johnny West, to her London flat on Chinese New Year in 1938 to test a belief that three strangers sharing a wish to Kwan Yin will have it granted. The three pool money for a Grand National sweepstakes ticket and vow not to sell it if drawn, choosing to hold onto it until the race. Each hopes the winnings will advance his or her plans: Crystal to win back her husband, Arbutny to boost his career, Johnny to buy and run a bar.

Crystal's husband, David Shackleford, moved to Canada and later returns demanding a divorce. She undermines him to sabotage his career prospects and tells Janet Elliott that David still loves her and that Janet is pregnant, causing Janet to return to Canada and affecting her life.

Johnny hides after a drunken, botched robbery that ends with a policeman's death, aided by Icey Crane. Icey commits perjury to provide Johnny's alibi, while a second witness falters. Bertram Fallon confesses to the robbery but blames Johnny and Gabby Delaney for the murder, and Johnny is ultimately caught and sentenced to death.

Timothy 'Gabby' Delaney confronts Fallon; as Fallon is on his way to prison, Gabby stabs him. Fallon dies in a railway carriage and, in his final moments, clears Johnny West of the charges, tying up Johnny's fate to Fallon’s confession.

Arbutny relies on money from Lady Rhea Belladon’s trust to fuel his scheme. When the stock falls and his margin is called, he proposes to Lady Belladon for help. After consulting with her deceased husband, she refuses and notes that Lord Belladon wants the books checked, foiling his plans.

The three confront each other at Crystal's flat: Arbutny wants to sell his share immediately to cover his crimes, Johnny is willing to sell, but Crystal insists they honor their original agreement to hold the ticket. The disagreement heightens the tension and propels the plot toward tragedy.

In a rage, Arbutny strikes Crystal with her Kwan Yin statue, killing her. The group is stunned as the murder shifts the balance of their plans and solidarity. Soon after, the radio announces the Grand National winner, intensifying their fear of exposure.

They hear on the radio that their horse has won the Grand National. Johnny points out that destroying the ticket is essential to avoid motive for Crystal's murder and to protect themselves, and the trio leaves the flat with the ticket still in play.

Overcome by guilt, Arbutny rushes into the busy street, stops traffic, and confesses to Crystal’s murder in front of a crowd and a policeman. The public confession crackles with tension as investigators and bystanders witness his unraveling.

David Shackleford arrives at Crystal's flat intending to shoot his estranged wife for driving Janet away, but he is shocked to find Crystal already dead and departs, shaken and unresolved by the tragedy surrounding his family.

Johnny returns to the pub and is reunited with Icey Crane. Content with his life, he sets the Grand National winning ticket on fire, destroying it and ending any chance of leveraging their ill-fated pact for salvation.

With Crystal dead, the criminals exposed, and the ticket destroyed, the survivors face an uneasy future. The film closes on a note of loss and the precarious path ahead for Johnny, Arbutny, and the remaining characters.