Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Rose Loomis and her older, gloomier husband, George, are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls. The couple befriend Polly and Ray Cutler, who are honeymooning in the area. Polly begins to suspect that something is amiss between Rose and George, and her suspicions grow when she sees Rose in the arms of another man. While Ray initially thinks Polly is overreacting, things between George and Rose soon take a shockingly dark turn.
Niagara is a competent mid-century noir thriller elevated considerably by its lush Technicolor cinematography of Niagara Falls and Monroe's iconic star presence. The location photography is genuinely stunning and was used to spectacular effect, earning a high Cinematography mark. The acting is serviceable — Monroe is magnetic and Joseph Cotten dependably menacing, though the supporting cast is unremarkable. The plot is a fairly conventional noir triangle of infidelity and murder that doesn't offer many surprises, and the ending deflates rather than satisfies, resolving tension more by circumstance than dramatic payoff. As a noir, it hits familiar beats without reinventing anything, keeping Novelty modest.