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Featuring Robert Mitchum's formidable performance as a child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil. Read critic reviews
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The Night of the Hunter videos
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - He Ain't My Dad
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - The Devil Wins Sometimes
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - It's in the Doll!
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - The Sleepless Hunter
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Two Pretty Children
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Harry Murders Willa
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Love and Hate
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Harry Speaks to the Lord
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Making a Promise
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - They Abide and They Endure
The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
The Night of the Hunter Photos
Movie Info
The Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is a religious fanatic and serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Serving time in prison for car theft, he meets condemned murderer Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who confesses to hiding $10,000 in stolen loot. Released from jail, Powell is obsessed with finding the money, and he tracks down Harper's widow, Willa (Shelley Winters), and her two children, John (Billy Chapin) and Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce).
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Genre: Mystery & thriller
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Original Language: English
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Director: Charles Laughton
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Producer: Paul Gregory
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Writer: James Agee, Charles Laughton
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: United Artists
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Production Co: United Artists, Paul Gregory Productions
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Sound Mix: Mono
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Aspect Ratio: 35mm
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for The Night of the Hunter
Critic Reviews for The Night of the Hunter
Audience Reviews for The Night of the Hunter
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Not a bad thriller, but not a great one either. There are some creepy moments in this movie to be sure, and Robert Mitchum terrorizing two little kids will make you cringe or maybe have you urging them to run. The shot director Charles Laughton captures of Shelley Winters in the lake is excellent, and Mitchum's 'L-O-V-E' on the knuckles of one hand with 'H-A-T-E' on the knuckles of the other is iconic. Oh, and it was fantastic to see 62-year-old Lillian Gish, who turns in a suitably feisty performance. On the other hand, Laughton's direction is heavy-handed and clunky at times, and there are plot moments that just don't seem quite right. The acting ranges from poor to so-so, Mitchum included (though he certainly is a handsome fellow), and the soundtrack is too intrusive, annoyingly so in the jaunty bits. I hated the ending, which breaks out clichés like a torch-wielding mob and overdone Biblical verse. The movie was disturbing to audiences in 1955, likely because of the cruelty and evil shown in a man of the cloth, which made it not well received and caused Laughton to never direct again. I find it decent and worth seeing, but a little dated and lacking real horror.
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It's intelligently written, exploring themes such religion and good versus evil while also being structurally innovative and experimental. However, what is so special about The Night of the Hunter has less to do with its excellent screenplay and more to do with the execution. The cast is phenomenal (Robert Mitchum is the stand out), and their performances are highlighted by an understated visual style, relying heavily on longer takes and little camera movement. Furthermore, this style also leads way to some of the most striking and beautiful imagery I have ever seen in a film. These images, many of which contain deep contrast and expert blocking, are not only haunting, but also incredibly effective in telling the story visually, rather than overly relying on dialogue. The Night of the Hunter is a celebration of cinema. The attention to detail in every single aspect makes for one of the best cinematic experiences I've ever had. If for nothing else, this film embodies the power of experimentation. In a world filled with so many derivative films, it is worth remembering how rewarding it can be when filmmakers step outside their comfort zone. As a viewer, you should, too.
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Charles Laughton, the formidable British actor, after years in the trade, made one feature as a director and this is it, layered like a fat juicy onion. A criminal malcontent disguised as a preacher goes on the hunt for some stolen loot, killing all who stand in his way, and there's your plot, but along the way Laughton pauses to comment on many and various things, not the least of which is how a poetically told story resonates. Like maybe in the old silent films ... and there is where this simple tale takes joyous flight. Mitchum leads as the heavy, but there are many fine performances here. Shelley Winters, cast against type, is marvelous, and Lillian Gish ( in case you missed the homage to the silents) underlines the point. And, after all these years, still as vibrant a work.
kevin w Super Reviewer -
This tense and bleak film noir, aesthetically mesmerizing and borrowing heavily from German Expressionism, is all the more surprising when you know that Laughton hated children - and while Mitchum is great as the expressionist villain, he seems though too one-dimensional to be truly menacing.
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