The Night of the Hunter
- 1955
- US
- 1h 33min
- PG
- Directed by: Charles Laughton
- Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish
Mitchum is unforgettable in this atmospheric tale (sadly Laughton's only film as director) in which he plays a psychotic priest chasing two children for the money stolen by their father. James Agee's script and Laughton's stark monochrome visuals mark out an allegorical conflict between good and evil but there's plenty haunting imagery to make this a mesmerising cinematic experience.
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It’s Halloween and you might well feel a little uneasy with Robert Mitchum’s murderous preacher on the loose. The only film directed by Charles Laughton is an inspired edge of the seat thriller seen from the viewpoint of a child with a sinister secret. (USA - 1955)
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Reviews & features
The Night of the Hunter
16 Jan 2014
Charles Laughton's masterpiece remains both gloriously cinematic and utterly terrifying
Masterpiece is a much overused term, but The Night of the Hunter, a 1955 thriller now restored and re-released, genuinely deserves that accolade. Adapted from Davis Grubb’s 1953 novel (itself based on a true story from 20 years earlier) by screenwriter…
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