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The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1955

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

Movie details

The Night of the Hunter

“It’s a hard world for little things.”

1955 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.9 / 10

Community rating

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Night of the Hunter?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Charles Laughton

Written by

James Agee · Charles Laughton

Robert Mitchum

Robert Mitchum

Preacher Harry Powell

Shelley Winters

Shelley Winters

Willa Harper

Lillian Gish

Lillian Gish

Rachel Cooper

Billy Chapin

Billy Chapin

John Harper

Sally Jane Bruce

Sally Jane Bruce

Pearl Harper

James Gleason

James Gleason

Uncle Birdie Steptoe

Evelyn Varden

Evelyn Varden

Icey Spoon

Court is in session

Put The Night of the Hunter on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.