The movie establishes immediately that the woman central to the plot (Gene Tierney) is deceased, presenting police officer "McPherson" (Dana Andrews) with a difficult investigation. The narrative attempts to connect the various pieces of evidence offered by her unpleasant and dependent fiancé (Vincent Price), her maid "Bessie" (Dorothy Adams), her affluent and critical aunt (Judith Anderson), and ultimately from her somewhat condescending mentor "Waldo" (Clifton Webb), who enjoys composing his sharp-tongued newspaper articles while relaxing in a warm bath. It’s this last character who provides some additional background through narration, revealing the story of an aspiring but imperfect woman easily influenced by others. As if “McPherson's” job wasn’t complicated enough, the appearance of another woman during his search for answers significantly alters the situation, demanding a complete reevaluation of everything. This is a skillfully made film featuring excellent performances from Tierney and Webb, both creating characters that are truly memorable. I have always found Andrews to be somewhat lacking in presence, but here he also manages to contribute meaningfully as the mystery unfolds, prompting viewers to form their own opinions about various flaws—whether genuine or imagined—as greed and jealousy compete for prominence among the potential reasons behind a family you'd probably rather avoid! Preminger gradually weaves these disparate elements together to produce an ending that diverges from initial expectations, placing the film among the better examples of noir cinema due to its emphasis on storytelling, strong writing, and characters that make it worthwhile viewing.

Source on TMDB