Double Take

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Double Take

2009

1h 20m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Exploring the link between Cold War paranoia and the entertainment industry, which both depended on instilling a sense of fear, this documentary examines the efforts of acclaimed director and "master of suspense" Alfred Hitchcock, and how he marketed dread to a captivated audience. Hitchcock is shown in publicity appearances and portrayed by a lookalike (Ron Burrage) and an impersonator (Mark Perry), and his masterly skills of manipulation are revealed.

Critics Consensus

It's neither as profound nor as enlightening as it wants to be, but this stylishly edited Hitchcock homage brims with its subject's singular spirit.

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Jonathan Romney

Sight & Sound

Double Take is deadly serious in its scrutiny of politics, anxiety and the media, but it's also a witty entertainment that responds to Hitchcock with much of the master's own lightness and mischief.

Jul 6, 2018

Full Review

Chris Chang

Film Comment Magazine

Double Take is a cunning hybrid-call it a psycho-doc. Playful yet tempered with paranoia, curiously the whole thing nevertheless seems more nostalgic than cautionary.

Nov 13, 2013

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A.O. Scott

New York Times

Hitchcock was a master of mischief and misdirection, and no film so thoroughly infused with his spirit could be dull or predictable.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 4, 2010

Full Review

Amie Simon

Three Imaginary Girls

There are times when the "plot" seems disjointed - not all of the clips run smoothly, but in the end it all works.

Mar 8, 2019

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Turner Classic Movies Online

... more entertaining than enlightening.

Mar 25, 2011

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Mike Scott

Times-Picayune

The message is muddy, but that doesn't feel as important as the delivery method, which ends up redeeming this as a film experiment that succeeds for its sense of derring-do if nothing else.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 23, 2010

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andrew k

A mixture of statements about the Red Scare of the 50s spilling into the early 60s, the distraction of consumerism and the rise of television beginning to cannibalize cinema. All of which are topped by a quiet encounter between the Hitchcock of 1962 and an interesting companion as they calmly talk over coffee and tea. An enjoyable piece for any admirer of the man's work.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The juxtaposition of images of the cold war with images of Alfred Hitchcock. A confused composition makes this film look particularly goofy in drawing up its conclusion. Furthermore, it feels inadequately self-important. Nevertheless, the initial concept is quite intriguing although the project and its ambition never feels fully realised.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

An art house film of the highest order. The movie brilliantly alternates Hitchcock with footage from the cold war to show how fear and paranoia drove the arms race.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hitchcock in the context of the Cold War--of course! And capitalist fearmongering and warmongering, and television. But rather too enigmatic when it should have been provocative.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This cut and paste mockumentary about Alfred Hitchcock and Cold War zietgiest might be a bit too pretentious and silly for some, but film snobs like me might be amused to see Hitchcockian mischief fill the screen once again

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A clever if impossibly-ambitious concept, using many 1960s clips to illustrate some rather odd coincidences between the life of Alfred Hitchcock, one of his London lookalikes, his films and the Cold War. As a bunch of assorted disparate clips, it's never really boring, but as a whole, it doesn't really work. Mildly educational and fairly watchable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

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Johan Grimonprez

Director

Ron Burrage

Hitchcock Double

Mark Perry

Hitchcock Voice

Delfine Bafort

Waitress

Johan Grimonprez

Screenwriter

Tom McCarthy

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Synopsis

Exploring the link between Cold War paranoia and the entertainment industry, which both depended on instilling a sense of fear, this documentary examines the efforts of acclaimed director and "master of suspense" Alfred Hitchcock, and how he marketed dread to a captivated audience. Hitchcock is shown in publicity appearances and portrayed by a lookalike (Ron Burrage) and an impersonator (Mark Perry), and his masterly skills of manipulation are revealed.

Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producer: Emmy Oost
Screenwriter: Johan Grimonprez, Tom McCarthy
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.2K
Runtime: 1h 20m