Family Plot

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Family Plot

PG

1976

2h 0m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Blanche (Barbara Harris), a less than reputable psychic, and her equally shady boyfriend, George (Bruce Dern), are hired by an elderly lady to find her nephew Arthur (William Devane), who had been given up for adoption as a boy. With little information to go on, the pair track down the now-adult man in San Francisco. Arthur has had a colorful past, including murder and thievery with girlfriend Fran (Karen Black). So when he discovers he is being trailed, he assumes it's for other reasons.

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Critics Consensus

The Master of Suspense's swan song finds him aiming for pulpy thrills and hitting the target, delivering a twisty crime story with pleasurable bite.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

May 12, 2020

If this is Hitchcock's last film, he couldn't have left us on a more confident and mischievously inventive note.

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

May 12, 2020

Out of respect for Hitchcock's stature, and his years, Family Plot should be considered as fleetingly as possible.

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David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

May 12, 2020

3/5

Hitchcock's final picture is not one of the classics but has many of the elements that made him great.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Jun 26, 2025

This is overlong and plodding, about as clever as a mediocre sitcom, looking like a parody/knockoff of one of Hitchcock's better efforts.

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Madeleine Harmsworth

Sunday Mirror (UK)

Oct 6, 2023

The journey is often amusing and sometimes nerve-wracking. Either way, it is not to be missed.

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Russell Davies

Observer (UK)

Oct 6, 2023

Family Plot is a confection: a sugared almond, from the heart whose kernel the tiny capsule of traditional poison is unaccountably missing. Billed as diabolical, the film is in fact benign to the point of all-out merriment.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 19, 2026

Family Plot = a 4 star Movie!

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Madam D

@Madam1948 May 18, 2025

Mr. Hitchcock is here showing two criminal couples interaction as their lives cross. Sort of a horror version of "All in the Family." While there were some cornball elements, overall it was really good.

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Sam N

@RT61650855 Mar 21, 2025

Hitchcock’s final film is a lighthearted caper packed with his usual tricks—mistaken identities, double-crosses, and an elaborate chase. The story is interesting enough, but the whole thing feels oddly small-scale, like an extended Murder, She Wrote or Columbo episode. The 1970s colour saturation only adds to that made-for-TV aesthetic. While it’s entertaining in parts, it lacks the tension and sharpness of his best work, and you never feel thoroughly captivated. The performances are decent, and there are flashes of Hitchcock’s wit, but it never truly soars. A curious farewell but not a particularly grand one.

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CodyZamboni Z

@CodyZamboni Jul 8, 2024

Clever script, lots of double entendres, Mostly entertaining. Unfortunately, there's a few goofy characters who are annoying, The production looks cheap , with dated 70's fashions and sensibilities, A far cry from the usual Hitchcock elegant productions.

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Jan 17, 2024

Loved it. A fun caper.

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Manon P

@RT69129281 Jan 2, 2024

I'm a fan of Hitchcock's Rear Window and his tv series so I was keen to see this lesser known film. But I just thought there was too much going on plotwise to care what happened to such unlikeable characters. I did enjoy Torn Curtain with Paul Newman and the Man who knew too Much with James Stewart and Doris Day.

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Bruce Dern

George Lumley

Karen Black

Fran

Barbara Harris

Blanche Tyler

William Devane

Arthur Adamson

Ed Lauter

Joe Maloney

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Synopsis

Blanche (Barbara Harris), a less than reputable psychic, and her equally shady boyfriend, George (Bruce Dern), are hired by an elderly lady to find her nephew Arthur (William Devane), who had been given up for adoption as a boy. With little information to go on, the pair track down the now-adult man in San Francisco. Arthur has had a colorful past, including murder and thievery with girlfriend Fran (Karen Black). So when he discovers he is being trailed, he assumes it's for other reasons.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Victor Canning, Ernest Lehman
Distributor: Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 9, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Mono

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