Shazam!
High Life
Widows
The Walking Dead
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified.
Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service.
Dial M for Murder may be slightly off-peak Hitchcock, but by any other standard, it's a sophisticated, chillingly sinister thriller -- and one that boasts an unforgettable performance from Grace Kelly to boot.
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (5) | DVD (6)
Ray Milland is great as cold fish Tony Wendice, a former tennis pro who plans to bump off his adulterous wife. Still, Grace Kelly is mis-cast (or misdirected) as the spouse in question. Jul 26, 2013 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Ray Milland is great as cold fish Tony Wendice, a former tennis pro who plans to bump off his adulterous wife. Still, Grace Kelly is mis-cast (or misdirected) as the spouse in question.
Charlotte O'Sullivan
The set-up is ingenious and the "kill" scene genuinely thrilling. Jul 25, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
The set-up is ingenious and the "kill" scene genuinely thrilling.
Peter Bradshaw
Second tier Hitch perhaps, but no less enjoyable for it, and still a marvel of cinematic technique. Jul 25, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Second tier Hitch perhaps, but no less enjoyable for it, and still a marvel of cinematic technique.
Matthew Thrift
The fun of Dial M lies in its duel of wits... Aug 24, 2008 | Full Review…
The fun of Dial M lies in its duel of wits...
Dial M is less a filmed play than a highly cinematic investigation of theatricality. Jan 2, 2008 | Full Review…
Dial M is less a filmed play than a highly cinematic investigation of theatricality.
B. Kite
Dial M remains more of a filmed play than a motion picture, unfortunately revealed as a conversation piece about murder which talks up much more suspense than it actually delivers. Jan 2, 2008 | Full Review…
Dial M remains more of a filmed play than a motion picture, unfortunately revealed as a conversation piece about murder which talks up much more suspense than it actually delivers.
Variety Staff
The movie is worth seeing even now, if for no other aim than to show a man ambitiously experimenting with the devious facets that would inspire greater films. Nov 25, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
The movie is worth seeing even now, if for no other aim than to show a man ambitiously experimenting with the devious facets that would inspire greater films.
David Keyes
An exercise made by an enormously talented constructor of thrillers in the most fertile period of his career. Jul 5, 2014 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…
An exercise made by an enormously talented constructor of thrillers in the most fertile period of his career.
Tim Brayton
The risk with clever thrillers is always that they will focus on pleasing the intellect at the expense of developing more depth. Dial M For Murder is a different kind of animal. Aug 19, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
The risk with clever thrillers is always that they will focus on pleasing the intellect at the expense of developing more depth. Dial M For Murder is a different kind of animal.
Jennie Kermode
Rather than let someone else mess with a play that has a formal perfection, Hitchcock did the adaptation himself, his only such credit while in Hollywood. Jul 28, 2013 | Full Review…
Rather than let someone else mess with a play that has a formal perfection, Hitchcock did the adaptation himself, his only such credit while in Hollywood.
Philip French
Milland's sinister sophistication catches the eye, but Kelly's subtly shaded suffering is superb. Jul 26, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Milland's sinister sophistication catches the eye, but Kelly's subtly shaded suffering is superb.
David Parkinson
The depth of focus, framing of characters and objects and use of the claustrophobic sets add extra pleasure to what was already a thoroughly enjoyable "perfect crime" nail-biter. Jul 25, 2013 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
The depth of focus, framing of characters and objects and use of the claustrophobic sets add extra pleasure to what was already a thoroughly enjoyable "perfect crime" nail-biter.
Allan Hunter
John Williams and Grace Kelly are surely great, but Ray Milland is fantastic in this sophisticated and intellectually stimulating thriller that fascinates with its witty, impeccably-written dialogue and the intelligent minutiae of everything that can go wrong in a perfect murder.
Super Reviewer
Very slow to start, really found myself quite bored. Picks up a little with the "murder", but still wouldn't call it riveting viewing. Though classic movies are far from my favourite, there are definitely much better ones out there. I was interested to see Grace Kelly act as I have heard a lot about her over the years. I was kind of underwhelmed. She's a nice looking woman, but not the most beautiful ever and not an extremely convincing actress either. This was okay.
Based on a play, so it comes with limitations, but slow and too talky, overall. Not Hitchcock's best work. And while conceptually, I like that the whole story takes place in one room, it's unfortunately stiff to watch.
I find it difficult to gush over these older movies. Sure there is a battle of wits between the Inspector and the husband. But the audience knows who did it from the beginning - we have to make do with watching if the Inspector can figure it out.
View All Quotes
View All