Spellbound
Seen it?1945 | 111 min | Drama, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won an Oscar and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and romantics. If you loved Insomnia or The Naked City, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 51 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1945: an older pace and style.
When Dr. Anthony Edwardes arrives at a Vermont mental hospital to replace the outgoing hospital director, Dr. Constance Peterson, a psychoanalyst, discovers Edwardes is actually an impostor. The man confesses that the real Dr. Edwardes is dead and fears he may have killed him, but cannot recall anything. Dr. Peterson, however is convinced his impostor is innocent of the man's murder, and joins him on a quest to unravel his amnesia through psychoanalysis.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.4 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Original Score. Also nominated for 5 more Oscars and 1 Venice award. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$7 million worldwide on a $2 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 177K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Insomnia Saturday SpecialAnother crime drama.
The Naked City Saturday SpecialAnother crime thriller that's easy to miss.
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Turtles All the Way Down
Sunday Safe BetAnother drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Remember Weeknight WatchAnother drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
- Ingrid BergmanDr. Constance Petersen
- Gregory PeckJohn Ballantine
- Michael ChekhovDr. Alexander Brulov
- Leo G. CarrollDr. Murchison
- Rhonda FlemingMary Carmichael
- John EmeryDr. Fleurot
- Norman LloydMr. Garmes
- Bill GoodwinHouse Detective
- Steven GerayDr. Graff
- Donald CurtisHarry