The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter
A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
This feels like a movie that I would have watched 40-50 times as a kid, the way I did Singin in the Rain, On the Town. It’s slightly less sing song-y and 100 times darker as it follows Robert Mitchum a murdering, thieving preacher stalking after two young kids who potentially know the whereabouts of their deceased father’s stash of stolen loot. Impeccably crafted shots, lighting and angles make it a premium example of Black and White pictures of the era. Some of the thematics haven’t aged so well, but that’s pretty typical for films from this time period. Like how old was Ruby supposed to be while she’s down bad for the preacher man? Didn’t love the ending either. Felt like John kinda wimped out, both revealing the $$, and not testifying. Great film.