Wow. Decoy has got to be one of the most extreme and meanest film noirs I’ve seen yet. It’s sadistic. Nearly everyone dies. And it’s got the one of the most lethal femme fatales in history: Margot Shelby, portrayed by British actress Jean Gillie, who sadly only made two American films before dying of pneumonia at age 33. It’s easy to see why the film has gained such a cult status since being revived from the dead (much like the character of Frankie) in 2000. The film is a wholly unique mix of hardboiled sensibilities, melodrama, and perverse medical practice ripped straight from the pulps.

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