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A man on the run for something unstated seeks shelter in a country home of a lonely widow one dark, rainy night. He tells her he wants to use the phone. She has no telephone, but gives him food and lets him sleep on her couch. The next day, the man, figuring this was a secluded place to hide, comes up with an excuse to stay. Over time, the couple's relationship becomes sexual. This produces complications.

Although the man is clearly using the woman, he does seem to have affection for her. The woman, meanwhile, feels like she is cheating on her dead husband.

A Stranger Knocks has a theatrical feel. Except for one brief appearance of a third actor, the film is mostly just the two actors in the one location. Birgitte Federspiel (as Vibeke) and Preben Lerdorff Rye (as Han) are both good actors, but the first half of the film drags. The second half is better.

A Stranger Knocks was controversial for two, at the time, adult sex scenes. Neither is overly explicit by today's standards (there is no nudity), but both are memorable for their focus on Vibeke's emotional state. The second one is important dramatically since the sex scene also contains an important clue.

A Stranger Knocks is a decent arthouse film from the 1950's that has been mostly forgotten today. It has two good actors and two memorably adult sex scenes. On the downside, some of the exposition is clunky and the play-like situation can get a little tiresome. A Stranger Knocks is still worth checking out if one runs across it, but one should not spend a lot of time searching for the film.