Hitchhiker Al Roberts is trapped in an ever-tightening net of his own making when the driver who stops to pick him up dies. Fearing he would be accused of murder, he chooses to get rid of the body and to take on the man's identity. He picks up a rider named Vera who sees through his charade and blackmails him into participating in her increasingly criminal schemes. As Roberts spirals downward into trouble, the viewer is taken along for the incredible ride. Shadowy black and white cinematography, a femme fatale, a hard-bitten narrator and questionable morality are just a few of the stunning film noir elements that render this a cinematic treasure.