The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
Back to trending 
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Thriller · Mystery · Drama · 1956
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.
Movie details
The Man Who Knew Too Much
“A little knowledge can be a deadly thing!”
1956 Thriller · Mystery · Drama 2h 1m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.4 / 10
Community rating
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.
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 Man Who Knew Too Much?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Where it lives
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock
Written by
John Michael Hayes · D.B. Wyndham-Lewis · Charles Bennett
James Stewart
Ben McKenna
Doris Day
Jo McKenna
Brenda De Banzie
Lucy Drayton
Bernard Miles
Edward Drayton
Ralph Truman
Buchanan
Daniel Gélin
Louis Bernard
Mogens Wieth
Ambassador
Court is in session
Put The Man Who Knew Too Much on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
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.