if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Blistering performances.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I expected an entertaining "B" movie, and got much more -- believable characters, down-to-earth dialogue, and a plot twist that genuinely caught me off guard. I find refreshing any film with an atypical hero -- in this case, an ordinary nice guy who could be your next door neighbor, His insecurities and temptations feel familiar and understandable. It's no wonder critics quibbled pointlessly over whether "Dead by Dawn" borrowed from "Consenting Adults." A more honest response might arouse uncomfortably close-to-home feelings about how any one of us, at any time, could face temptations more dangerous than we realize. As a morality tale, this film is far more effective than most I've seen (e.g., by comparison, the not-very-believable "Unfaithful.")

Why don't they make movies like this anymore? What happened to B-movies, to erotic thrillers? Dead by Dawn is not a great movie, but it is a competently made, low budget thriller that Hollywood used to make and doesn't anymore.There is a scene in this movie that is so beautifully photographed and so evocative of film noir that I was blown away. It is the scene, shot at night by the pool, where the main character sneaks into a house via the pool area to have sex with a woman he has wanted for a long time. This is classic stuff. The main character looks a little like Robert Mitchum, and the nighttime shot is lit expertly and beautifully.Another writer has said that this movie is a ripoff of Consenting Adults with Kevin Kline. There are obvious parallels, but it is far from a rip off.

I liked this film... But I would have to say that it really isn't that sexy. The love scenes are rather boring, but the story rocks. The dialogue was great and the detective stuff was cool. It's a good murder mystery, but not your typical Shannpon Tweed movie.

I think this is undoubtedly Shannon Tweed's best film performance. It's a serious role with real acting skill displayed. The other actors are less known but are cast well. The dialogue was especially interesting, combining moral themes and the genre of sex/cop thriller. Anybody who likes "Law & Order" or other tightly written TV series will enjoy seeing this film. It's probably pretty low budget, but compared to a lot of the slick, expensive, but meaningless stuff out there, it's a solid film.