Albert Dekker stars as twins in Gothic thriller
Combining the Southern Gothic literary tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and the conventions of film noir, “Among the Living” is a crime thriller with elements of horror. It’s an underrated film that deals with mental illness and society’s one-time view of those afflicted as outcasts to be marginalized and hidden away.<br /><br />The setting is the fictional Southern town of Raden, named for its founder and owner of the mill that was its primary business. The town has languished since the mill was shut down. Old Mr. Raden has died and his son John (Albert Dekker, “Dr. Cyclops”) has returned for the funeral with his wife, Elaine (Frances Farmer). John was sent away as a child and has not returned for 25 years.<br /><br />John soon learns from family doctor Ben Saunders (Harry Carey) that his identical twin brother, Paul (also played by Dekker), who suffered from insanity and died years ago, is in fact alive. The doctor attributes Paul’s insanity to a brain injury he received in childhood when trying to protect his mother from his brutal father. Dr. Saunders faked a death certificate because old Raden feared a scandal if the townsfolk learned that a member of the family was insane. Paul has been kept in the basement of the abandoned mansion.<br /><br />When John and the doctor go to visit Paul in the mansion, they discover that he is missing and his caretaker, Pompey (Ernest Whitman), has been murdered. Paul wanders aimlessly in town and eventually takes a room in a boarding house where he becomes involved with the landlady’s attractive daughter, Millie (Susan Hayward).<br /><br />Tension grows as we watch Paul on the loose for the first time in over two decades. We know he is a danger to others, even as he looks lost in a world he’s never known.<br /><br />Dekker does a convincing job playing the two brothers with only minimal changes in his appearance. His characterizations are created mostly through facial expression, speech patterns, and reactions. As Paul, he has the look of a naive child discovering the world, not fully understanding people he encounters and surroundings that overwhelm him. As John, he is the respectable businessman, law abiding and basically decent. The special effects of split screen and matting are used effectively in the few shots that show the brothers in the same frame. In over-the-shoulder shots, stand-ins are used.<br /><br />Susan Hayward portrays the film’s femme fatale, Millie, as a determined young woman who appreciates money and what it can buy. She’s flirtatious, self-centered, and not above using her looks to get what she wants. Millie is an opportunist — eager to escape a dead-end life in a dead-end town and more than willing to take unfair advantage of Paul’s generosity. Hayward’s screen personality sparkles and her work in “Among the Living” would lead to major stardom in the years ahead.<br /><br />Director Stuart Heisler (“The Glass Key”) and screenwriter Lester Cole have crafted a suspenseful thriller highlighted by Dekker’s two-fold performance. I was reminded of the original “Frankenstein” film. Like the creature, Paul escapes and initially is filled with wonder as he discovers the world but ultimately falls victim to it. The ending, too, is similar to “Frankenstein,” as the townspeople form a mob to find a murderer. The film is well paced and doesn’t waste any time in telling its story. Theodor Sparkuhl’s black-and-white photography contributes greatly to the picture’s atmosphere.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Blu-ray release from Kino-Lorber include an audio commentary and several theatrical trailers.<br /><br />Briskly paced with elements of film noir melodrama and horror, “Among the Living” has a gripping screenplay and drips with atmosphere. Albert Dekker’s dual performance, with variations in body language and vocal inflections, makes twin characters recognizably different men.
The movie title "Among the Living," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.4 from 46 reviewers. 
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The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Mystery & Suspense/Film Noir", "Contributor": "Stuart Heisler, Susan Hayward, Frances Farmer, Albert Dekker", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 9 minutes", "MPAA rating": "NR (Not Rated)", "Product Dimensions": "5.31 x 6.77 x 0.59 inches; 2.12 Ounces", "Director": "Stuart Heisler", "Run time": "1 hour and 9 minutes", "Release date": "November 16, 2021", "Actors": "Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward, Frances Farmer", "Subtitles": "English", "Studio": "Kl Studio Classics", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : Albert Dekker (Dr. Cyclops), Susan Hayward (Back Street), Harry Carey (The Shepherd of the Hills) and Frances Farmer (Come and Get It) star in this gripping cinematic blend of noir thrills and Southern Gothic chills. Paul Raden (Dekker) is a hopeless maniac. Twenty-five years ago, he suffered permanent brain damage trying to defend his mother from his brutal father. Paul’s last memory, before descending into the shadows of insanity, was his mother’s agonized scream. Locked away in secrecy ever since, he escapes from his prison on the night of his father’s funeral and stalks among the living. It’s up to Paul’s identical twin John (also Dekker) to put a stop to his brother’s vicious spree. Stuart Heisler (The Glass Key, Blue Skies) directed this eerie film noir with expressionistic black-and-white photography by Theodor Sparkuhl (Beau Geste, Wake Island) that perfectly complements its dark story of madness and murder..