The Night of the Hunter

A four-panel black-and-white composition shows shadowy scenes inside a house. Silhouetted figures, angular rooms, and dramatic lighting create an ominous atmosphere.

Set in Depression-era West Virginia, The Night of the Hunter centers on an iterant, serial-killing preacher (Robert Mitchum) who preys on orphaned children. While serving jail time, he learns of a secret stash of bank robbery loot from another prisoner. Upon his release, he sets out to find the cash, crafting a sinister plot to marry the wounded widow Willa (Shelley Winters) and her children, who are terrified when they uncover his true motivations.

Featuring strikingly expressionistic cinematography by Stanley Cortez and a chilling performance by Robert Mitchum in the role of evil preacher with "love" and "hate" tattooed across the knuckles of his hands, the great actor Charles Laughton's first and only directorial effort is considered a singular masterpiece and has only grown in stature over the years.

Part of our "Noirvember" series. Courtesy: MGM/Park Circus

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