The Night of the Hunter
1955 · Movie · Approved · 93 min · ★ 7.9 · 95% critics
In Depression-era West Virginia, a charming preacher with a violent past targets two young siblings who hold the secret to hidden stolen money. As the threat closes in, the children are forced to run, relying on their wits and the kindness of strangers to stay one step ahead.
Based on The Night of the Hunter
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Details
- Years
- 1955
- Release date
- 1955-07-26
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.9/10 (1,834 votes)
- Budget
- $795,000
About
If you enjoy eerie, fairy-tale-like thrillers with a relentless menace and bursts of tenderness, this is a strong pick; Not for you if you want subtle villains, steady pacing, or a consistently grounded tone like Touch of Evil.
Pros: chilling villain; haunting songs; dreamlike river escape | Cons: uneven pacing; dated melodrama; mixed child acting
Themes
- prison
- robbery
- based on novel or book
- psychopath
- widow
- boat
- fanatic
- count
- money
- film noir
- murder
- religion
- +13 more
Cast & crew
Robert Mitchum
as Preacher Harry Powell
Shelley Winters
as Willa Harper
Lillian Gish
as Rachel Cooper
Billy Chapin
as John Harper
Sally Jane Bruce
as Pearl Harper
James Gleason
as Uncle Birdie Steptoe
Evelyn Varden
as Icey Spoon
Don Beddoe
as Walt Spoon
Peter Graves
as Ben Harper
James Griffith
as District Attorney
Directed by Charles Laughton