James Gleason

The Night of the Hunter (1955) - 4/5

This movie’s insidious antagonist is so iconic he’s been mimicked in everything from Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to The Punisher (Netflix, Season 2). It’s tense and terrifying, and elicits a palpable sense of Hitchcockian suspense. At times it seems to buck the three act narrative structure which lends it a sense of fear of the unknown, keeping the audience in the dark about where the story is going. For those who enjoy the existential dread of dark secrets in members of their community, this is a must-watch.

Content warning: marital abuse

Closest comparison: It’s like Parasite (2019) by way of Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Setting: Western Drama
Plot: Thriller Noir
Tone: Family In Peril