Hands of a Stranger
Directed by Newt Arnold
- maryvasilakakosJanuary 12, 2026What a gem! Absolutely immersive cinema, critics who look at old films as if they were filmed last week are way off. You've got to look at it in the context of the times when it was made. The philosophical themes about life, death, the soul, the overreach of ambition inherent in medical science and the ensuing hubris, are brilliantly scripted and unforced. There's criticism of them without preaching and hitting the viewer over the head with "significance". Acting is not too brilliant but adequate enough. But the editing - absolutely a cracking pace from beginning to end - and crisp B+W cinematography do make up for that, and are responsible for a lot of the impact of the film. There's not a single wasted superfluous scene or conversation. There are subtle hints of a possibly incestuous sibling relationship, and a touch of the Frankenstein motif throughout. Eminently rewatchable, an absolute antidote to so much of today's cinematic dross. Love it.
Hands of a Stranger Trivia
Hands of a Stranger was released on April 22, 1962.
Hands of a Stranger was directed by Newt Arnold.
Hands of a Stranger has a runtime of 85m.
Hands of a Stranger was produced by Newt Arnold, Michael Du Pont.
A surgeon must graft new hands on a concert pianist to replace his badly mangled ones. However, after the operation, the pianist comes to believe that his new hands have a mind of their own, and are trying to force him to commit evil acts.
The key characters in Hands of a Stranger are Dr. Gil Harding (Paul Lukather), Dina Paris (Joan Harvey), Vernon Paris (as James Stapleton) (James Noah).
Hands of a Stranger is rated Not Rated.
Hands of a Stranger is a Horror, Thriller film.
Hands of a Stranger has an audience rating of 1 out of 10.
Hands of a Stranger had a budget of $168K.