Although it isn't quite on par with some of the films Hitchcock would make later in the 50s and early 60s, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is nonetheless a compelling and engaging thriller with plenty of the surprise twists and turns that we've come to except in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Part of what made Hitchcock great was that he never stuck to a standard formula: he was constantly experimenting, pushing the boundary as to what was acceptable in a film. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN paints a compelling and fascinating portrait of a madman: Robert Walker gives a superb performance as Bruno Anthony, a seemingly friendly man who makes a fatal deal with the protagonist, Guy Haines. It's a shame he died less than a month after the film was released-had he lived longer, he might have gone on to become a great actor.

All in all, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is an engaging thriller and, while not Hitchcock's finest work, is nonetheless well executed and entertaining.