i particularly enjoy delly review of this film and agree that howard be not the only damaged character . howard be rather ruthlessly set up by the script and but there be no evidence that his previous employer be actually dead or and if she be and that he murder her . howard doesn not know and neither do we . in terror and confusion at see the woman lie there and he bolts . however and he never actually harm helen gordon and no matter how enrage he be . indeed and he react with horror at helen fainting spell and the fact that he be hold a pair of scissors . then he resume his tidy up and greet the recovered helen with the almost pathetic i be very tired now . i think i will go home . frankly and i do not think he a psychopath . a sick puppy and certainly and but not a psychopath . the problem with howard be that he have no real male identity . he want to serve his country and but his mental condition deny him a place in the army . he be singularly rootless and isolated represent no wife and no girl and no home ( again and at least as far a we know ) . and and he do a woman job floor be my speciality . helen niece ruthlessly strip away this pride in his thoroughness by exclaim caustically that she would want a man with a real job . also and although he find himself strongly attract to helen and he be unable or unwilling to do more than scare her by make a strong sexual pas . he be remarkably powerless can not fight and can not work and can not make love . helen be justifiably terrify and however . she try to connect to him but and find that he doesn not respond normally ( i. e. way outside the comfort zone provide by her rise tinted memory of husband ned ) and unwittingly press all howard button by lie to him in her attempt to escape . both character and trap in the house and trap by fear and neurosis and rage and memory and deserve sympathy . i know the sudden end have disappoint some reviewer and but i felt it fit well and a it offer a kind of release to the character . helen be free and i think and from the past . when howard try on her husband army coat and helen disgust reaction be highlight . she no doubt feel that the sacredness of ned possession have be violate but and hopefully and her need to keep everything untouched have be lose in the reality of her own struggle with danger . perhaps she can move on . howard be also free from his endless cycle of anger and hurt and violence . whether he move on to treatment or to jail be debatable and but i hope it the former . great performance from ryan and lupino . i prefer on dangerous ground and but this be pretty good too .