Dark forces are at play. Ivy comes from director Sam Wood, with a screenplay by Charles Bennett based on Marie Belloc Lowndes’s novel The Story of Ivy. It features Joan Fontaine, Patric Knowles, Herbert Marshall, Richard Ney, Cedric Hardwicke, and Lucile Watson. Daniele Amfitheatrof composed the music, and Russell Metty was in charge of cinematography. Ivy Lexton (Fontaine) desires riches, and to get them, she targets wealthy Miles Rushworth (Marshall). This leads her to devise a scheme that causes problems for her husband Jervis (Ney) and her lover Roger (Knowles). It’s definitely worth seeking out; Ivy highlights Fontaine's acting range and provides considerable entertainment. Interestingly, Madame Fontaine reportedly distanced herself from the film, even after taking over the role of Ivy Lexton when her sister Olivia de Havilland declined it. Her dislike for the movie might explain why it has largely been overlooked, which is unfortunate because it’s a top-tier gaslight noir driven by a compelling and complex female character. The production had a substantial budget, evident in the impressive cast, costumes, and striking turn-of-the-century design work by William Cameron Menzies. Metty's understated photography creates an atmospheric feel for the Edwardian settings, while Amfitheatrof’s music adds to the suspense with appropriately unsettling tones. The film explores obsessions—specifically, a man’s blind desire and a woman’s pursuit of money above all else. Characters aren’t defined by destiny but by their choices, resulting in a tangled web of murder and infidelity. 1947 was an exceptional year for film noir, with notable films like Out of the Past, Nightmare Alley, Kiss of Death, Odd Man Out, and Brighton Rock solidifying noir's growing popularity as a cinematic style. As is common with the best years of classic noir, there are still hidden treasures awaiting rediscovery, and Ivy is one of them. Fontaine’s performance and the film’s gorgeous noir visuals make it stand out. 8/10

Source on TMDB