The Night of the Hunter
Directed by Charles LaughtonA 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.
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The Night of the Hunter Ratings & Reviews
- Antonio Ca' ZorziJanuary 25, 2026A timeless fable hovering between humor and horror, Night of the Hunter tackles themes that were largely off Hollywood’s radar in the 1950s: a preacher-killer convinced he is on a mission from God, innocent children on the run, and simple folk who unquestioningly embrace his words, only to morph into a vengeful, unruly mob. Set during the Depression, the film is steeped in extreme poverty and a harsh, unforgiving society. Robert Mitchum is extraordinary in what remains his most iconic role—one you simply don’t forget. The stark, expressionistic photography is magnificent.
- GeNoScyllaSeptember 7, 2025Not for me but I can understand the appeal. If you like 1950s movies that’s definitely one of the best ones I watched
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025This 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.
- Scott and SharonApril 16, 2025One of the greatest masterpieces ever made for the cinema. The lighting, the mood, just amazing.
- VarunDecember 13, 2024Starts off interesting but aimlessly meanders on to the end. The preacher villain is really scary and steals every scene but he doesn’t get to do much in the 2nd half of the movie, and it ends in the most lacklustre way. Some of the lines are great but most of the conversations feel rehearsed. The premise is also too simple. The cinematography is lovely, there’s some really nice framing and nature shots. Just through the personality of the preacher, there’s a good critique on Christianity if you have the eyes to see it, but most people of faith are just gonna go “The person is bad but the religion is good”. The movie had a couple of good elements but mostly it’s a bore.
The Night of the Hunter Trivia
The Night of the Hunter was released on July 27, 1955.
The Night of the Hunter was directed by Charles Laughton.
The Night of the Hunter has a runtime of 1h 33m.
The Night of the Hunter was produced by Paul Gregory.
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.
The key characters in The Night of the Hunter are Preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), Willa Harper (Shelley Winters), Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish).
The Night of the Hunter is rated Approved.
The Night of the Hunter is a Drama, Thriller, Crime film.
The Night of the Hunter has an audience rating of 9 out of 10.