The Night of the Hunter
Seen it?1955 | 93 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10). Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Asphalt Jungle or Point Blank, start here.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1955: an older pace and style.
In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$7K worldwide on a $795K budget
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 60K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Charles Laughton
- Robert MitchumPreacher Harry Powell
- Shelley WintersWilla Harper
- Lillian GishRachel Cooper
- Billy ChapinJohn Harper
- Sally Jane BrucePearl Harper
- James GleasonUncle Birdie Steptoe
- Evelyn VardenIcey Spoon
- Don BeddoeWalt Spoon
- Peter GravesBen Harper
- James GriffithDistrict Attorney