Film noir, a classic film style of the '40s and '50s, is noted for its dark themes, stark camera angles and high-contrast lighting. Comprising many of Hollywood's finest films, film noir tells realistic stories about crime, mystery, femmes fatales and moral conflict.

The FBI files are filled with many lurid crime stories. One case in particular baffles FBI Inspector Briggs (Lloyd Nolan). It's the murders of a housewife and a bank guard, with no connection between the victims - except the murder weapon. Determined to solve the case, Briggs sends his best agent undercover to penetrate the inner circle of a notorious gang run by up-and-coming crime boss Stiles, played by Richard Widmark in one of his most chilling performances. Everything goes according to plan, until an informant tips off Stiles.