The Night of the Hunter

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The Night of the Hunter

1955

1h 32m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

The Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is a religious fanatic and serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Serving time in prison for car theft, he meets condemned murderer Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who confesses to hiding $10,000 in stolen loot. Released from jail, Powell is obsessed with finding the money, and he tracks down Harper's widow, Willa (Shelley Winters), and her two children, John (Billy Chapin) and Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce).

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Critics Consensus

Featuring Robert Mitchum's formidable performance as a child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil.

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Gavin Lambert

Sight & Sound

Oct 2, 2020

The Night of the Hunter doesn't altogether, as they say, "come off," but it is a film of extremely individual flavour, and its daring, its indifference to convention, make it uniquely surprising for a Hollywood production today.

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Times (UK) Staff

The Times (UK)

Oct 2, 2020

Mr. Charles Laughton directs, and, since Mr. Laughton is a highly intelligent man, nothing that he does is without interest. The Night of the Hunter is indeed none the less interesting for being a failure.

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Philip K. Scheuer

Los Angeles Times

Jun 28, 2019

It is doubtful that you will ever hear the old hymn, 'Learning,' again without recalling the gaunt, flapping figure of Preacher Powell as he lams it out in the dark night -- to the terror of the listening youngsters

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Aug 16, 2026

2.5/4

...a stylish yet relentlessly erratic endeavor that fares best when focused on Mitchum’s commanding figure...

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Daniel Barnes

Dare Daniel

Mar 31, 2026

5/5

A formally audacious, righteously blasphemous portrait of American hypocrisies with a mesmerizing turn from Robert Mitchum as the devil in preacher's clothing.

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Kyle Logan

Cultured Vultures

Feb 26, 2026

Charles Laughton’s only film as director has become a classic...for many reasons: Robert Mitchum’s iconic performance, the film’s genre mixture of noir, horror, and fairy tale elements, and the gorgeous black and white cinematography.

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Robert P

@Superbad 2 days ago

The Night of the Hunter is a 4.5 star Movie!

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 7, 2026

Definitely Recommend It

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M L

@RT87435539 Aug 31, 2026

As petrifying as a sharp pocket knife to a soft yielding neck - as exquisite as strands of long hair intertwined with listing underwater reeds… Human children harbor unknowable depths of survival DNA only they truly understand. They abide. Leaning . . .leaning.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke Aug 4, 2026

Rich, complex, and extremely well done. It reminded me at times of Huckleberry Finn, particularly in the children’s journey down the river. Everything worked, including the great sound, unusually stylish cinematography, and fine acting. The film became better and more complex as it went along, and the arrival of Lillian Gish near the end added a great deal. On top of everything else, it was a fine print.

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Jithin K

@Jithin Jul 30, 2026

The horror elements coming from the way hypocrisy works and enables the evil men is what worked mostly for me in this movie. But I didn't feel like it's as great a classic as a lot of its praise makes it seem. Its contemporary reviews when it was released makes a lot of sense to me even if I don't completely agree with all of it.

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Joaquin U

@Joaquin1 Jul 18, 2026

Mostly entertaining. An unconventional film with an interesting plot, but it keeps jumping genres—thriller, drama, fairy tale, horror, then back again. Mitchum has good moments, though often over-the-top, and the boy had no business acting in a movie. Decent cast overall. The direction is strange, but there are sequences with strong photography and flashes of artistic vision. Not a classic, despite the love of some critics for weird films with a lot of plot holes and absurdities—just a passable old movie for a lazy afternoon watch.

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Charles Laughton

Director

Robert Mitchum

Rev. Harry Powell

Shelley Winters

Willa Harper

Lillian Gish

Rachel Cooper

Evelyn Varden

Icey Spoon

Peter Graves

Ben Harper

The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - He Ain't My Dad

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - The Devil Wins Sometimes

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - It's in the Doll!

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - The Sleepless Hunter

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Two Pretty Children

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Harry Murders Willa

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Love and Hate

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Harry Speaks to the Lord

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - Making a Promise

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The Night of the Hunter: Official Clip - They Abide and They Endure

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Synopsis

The Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) is a religious fanatic and serial killer who targets women who use their sexuality to attract men. Serving time in prison for car theft, he meets condemned murderer Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who confesses to hiding $10,000 in stolen loot. Released from jail, Powell is obsessed with finding the money, and he tracks down Harper's widow, Willa (Shelley Winters), and her two children, John (Billy Chapin) and Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce).

Director: Charles Laughton
Producer: Paul Gregory
Screenwriter: James Agee, Charles Laughton
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists, Paul Gregory Productions
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 16, 2011
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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