History YMMV / DOA

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Probably one of the most depressing of the FilmNoir at the height of the genre, in which the protagonist is already murdered and his death was a SenselessSacrifice.[[note]]''Film/{{Detour}}'' was probably the only one more alienating.[[/note]]

* FollowTheLeader: Chester, like many killers in the FilmNoir era, was inspired by [[GigglingVillain Tommy Udo]] from ''Film/KissOfDeath''.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Probably one of the most depressing of the FilmNoir at the height of the genre, in which the protagonist is already murdered and his death was a SenselessSacrifice.[[note]]''Film/{{Detour}}'' was probably the only one more alienating.[[/note]]

* TearJerker: The entire film [[spoiler: especially when it's revealed Bigelow really was just one tenuous loose end -- he was killed because he inadvertently and innocently notarized a bill of sale for stolen iridium.]]

* HarsherInHindsight; Bigelow is killed with an irradiated poison that glows in the dark. In 2006, a man named Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by having (non-glowy) radioactive material injected into him. (''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' combined both the film and the real-life events for their episode "30".)

* HarsherInHindsight; Bigelow is killed with an irradiated poison that glows in the dark. In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by having (non-glowy) radioactive material injected into him. (''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' combined both the film and the real-life events for their episode "30".)

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Probably one of the most depressing of the FilmNoir at the height of the genre, in which the protagonist is already murdered and his death was a SenselessSacrifice.

* HarsherInHindsight; Bigelow is killed with a poison that glows in the dark. In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by having (non-glowy) radioactive material injected into him. (''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' combined both the film and the real-life events for their episode "30".)

* FemmeFatale: [[spoiler: Ms. Philips. An affair with her led Halliday to kill her husband, and the ensuing cover story they came up with led to the death of Bigelow and possibly Philips' brother too.]]

* TearJerker: The entire film [[spoiler: especially when it's revealed Bigelow really was just one tenuous loose end -- he was killed because he inadvertently and innocently notarized a bill of sale for stolen iridium.]]

* {{Tearjerker}}: The entire film [[spoiler: especially when it's revealed Bigelow really was just one tenuous loose end - he was killed because he inadvertently and innocently notarized a bill of sale for stolen iridium.]]

* LeaveThePlotThreadsHanging: The film never does explain how [[spoiler:Halliday]] got involved in the original iridium theft/sale that instigated the film.
** He didn't. He was simply trying to frame [[spoiler:Eugene]].

* {{Tearjerker}}: The entire film [[spoiler: especially when it's revealed Bigelow really was just one tenuous loose end.]]

** He didn't. He was simply trying to frame [[spoiler:Eugene]]

* HarsherInHindsight; Bigelow is killed with a poison that glows in the dark. In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by having (non-glowy) radioactive material injected into him. (''LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' combined both the film and the real-life events for their episode "30".)

** He signed papers that would expose the crooks if ever found. In other words, a loose end, despite being a complete dupe.