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Dead Reckoning finds film noir favorite Humphrey Bogart in unusual territory -- he's no detective, just a guy who wants to discover the truth about his strange missing buddy. As a result, he's not as in control as usual, and has to struggle a little harder in a setting that is not so familiar to him. That setting turns out to be rather more brutal than might be expected, and there's an air of senseless brutality that hangs over the whole film. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the almost random nature of the film plays up its existential leanings. Fortunately, director John Cromwell doesn't let these leanings become overpowering, and overlays them with plenty of solid action, confusing plot twists and shady characters spouting the kind of classic hardboiled dialogue that is the hallmark of noir. As for Bogart, the character may be in strange circumstances, but he's no stranger to the actor. He plays the role with effortless skill, adding just enough depth in unexpected places to keep the audience on its toes. Lizabeth Scott does the best that she can, but she's hampered by the obvious insistence that she be a Lauren Bacall stand-in -- a misguided notion anyway, as Bacall's femmes generally stopped short of being as fatale as Coral Chandler. If Scott falls a little short of the mark required here, the cracked, throaty voice and penetrating beauty do count for a lot.