T̲h̲e̲ ̲P̲o̲s̲t̲m̲a̲n̲ ̲A̲l̲w̲a̲y̲s̲ ̲R̲i̲n̲g̲s̲ ̲T̲w̲i̲c̲e̲ ̲i̲s̲ ̲a̲ ̲1̲9̲8̲1̲ ̲A̲m̲e̲r̲i̲c̲a̲n̲ ̲n̲e̲o̲-̲n̲o̲i̲r̲ ̲e̲r̲o̲t̲i̲c̲ ̲t̲h̲r̲i̲l̲l̲e̲r̲ ̲f̲i̲l̲m̲ ̲d̲i̲r̲e̲c̲t̲e̲d̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲B̲o̲b̲ ̲R̲a̲f̲e̲l̲s̲o̲n̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲w̲r̲i̲t̲t̲e̲n̲ ̲b̲y̲ ̲D̲a̲v̲i̲d̲ ̲M̲a̲m̲e̲t̲ ̲(̲i̲n̲ ̲h̲i̲s̲ ̲s̲c̲r̲e̲e̲n̲w̲r̲i̲t̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲d̲e̲b̲u̲t̲)̲. Starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange, it is the fourth adaptation of James M. Cain’s 1934 novel. The film was shot in Santa Barbara, California.
Frank Chambers, a drifter, stops for a meal at a diner outside Depression-era Los Angeles and ends up working there. The diner is run by Cora Smith, a beautiful young woman, and her older husband, Nick Papadakis, a hard-working but unimaginative Greek immigrant.
Frank and Cora begin an affair soon after they meet. Cora is bored with her situation, marries an older man she does not love, and works at a diner she wants to own and improve. ̲S̲h̲e̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲F̲r̲a̲n̲k̲ ̲p̲l̲a̲n̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲k̲i̲l̲l̲ ̲N̲i̲c̲k̲ ̲s̲o̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲y̲ ̲c̲a̲n̲ ̲s̲t̲a̲r̲t̲ ̲a̲ ̲n̲e̲w̲ ̲l̲i̲f̲e̲ ̲t̲o̲g̲e̲t̲h̲e̲r̲ ̲w̲i̲t̲h̲o̲u̲t̲ ̲l̲o̲s̲i̲n̲g̲ ̲h̲e̲r̲ ̲r̲e̲s̲t̲a̲u̲r̲a̲n̲t̲.̲ ̲T̲h̲e̲i̲r̲ ̲f̲i̲r̲s̲t̲ ̲a̲t̲t̲e̲m̲p̲t̲ ̲f̲a̲i̲l̲s̲,̲ ̲b̲u̲t̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲y̲ ̲s̲u̲c̲c̲e̲e̲d̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲s̲e̲c̲o̲n̲d̲ ̲t̲i̲m̲e̲.̲
Local suspects suspect what really happened but lack evidence to prove it. In order to turn Cora and Frank against each other, he targets Cora. Although they turn against each other, a clever ruse by attorney Katz prevents her full confession from reaching the prosecutor. Since this tactic does not produce any new evidence for the prosecution, Cora benefits from a plea deal in which she pleads guilty to manslaughter and is sentenced to probation.
Months later, Frank has an affair with Madge Gorland while Cora is away. When Cora returns, she tells Frank that she is pregnant. That night, Katz’s assistant, Kennedy, shows up at their door and threatens to expose them unless they give him $10,000. Furious, Frank beats Kennedy and forces him to hand over evidence against them.
When Frank returns, he discovers that Madge has gone to see Cora, who threatens to expose him. They eventually mend their tumultuous relationship and plan their future together. However, on the way back home after getting married, Cora dies in a car accident while Frank is driving. Frank mourns over Cora’s body.
