For those who have heard about this film as being a great forgotten classic of Film Noir, prepare to be disappointed. 'Decoy' is ultimately just another cheap and badly acted B-movie. In spite of a few moments of inspired camera work and a tantalizing opening, 'Decoy' slogs its way through its badly paced 75 minutes, quickly turning flat and staid. Anyone even half-awake during the duration will be two steps ahead of the deeply silly, almost Ed Wood-like, plot twists. Although much has been made of Jean Gillie's femme fatal as being darker and nastier than any other from the period, she comes across as rather prissy and one-dimensional. Despite displaying a plethora of admittedly intriguingly dark and unforgiving traits, she remains a somewhat indifferent creation.
For a really legendary poverty row Noir classic with a more memorably nasty female, seek out a decent print of Edgar G. Ulmer's masterful 'Detour' (made the year before this) instead.
For a really legendary poverty row Noir classic with a more memorably nasty female, seek out a decent print of Edgar G. Ulmer's masterful 'Detour' (made the year before this) instead.