Cape Fear

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Kyle C Masterfully disturbing and suspenseful, Cape Fear is a timeless classic with iconic direction and score. I’m not sure how much of this was intentional, but the film is surprisingly critical of law enforcement and quietly encourages community justice — especially bold for 1962. Though it doesn’t offer many solutions, it exposes the flaws of relying on the system to keep you safe, while also showing what can go wrong if you take matters into your own hands. That said, some obvious steps (like a restraining order, maybe?) are just overlooked. But I’m no expert on 1960s law. Maybe that wasn’t realistic then. Robert Mitchum is genuinely terrifying as Max Cady. The film smartly lets us imagine the horrors he’s committed, without showing much, for most of its runtime. Then, when he finally goes fully unhinged, it’s deeply disturbing because we’ve almost gotten comfortable seeing him as some kind of gentleman. His transformation into the animal we’ve been warned about is brilliant and shows off the masterful filmmaking on display. The expert direction and Bernard Herrmann’s haunting score accentuate the film’s themes perfectly. Put simply, this film rises far above the generic horror that plagues theaters today. The suspense is real and parts are genuinely hard to watch. It’s a slow burn that really blazes by the end. I loved it. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/10/25 Full Review David G. Classic movie. Intense for its time, and we wouldn’t have De Niros great and creepy performance in the remake without the original! Robert Mitchum and Gregory peck were at the height of their careers, and it shows. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/20/25 Full Review Horror fan 4 What a classic thriller movie with great performances and direction. Tim Treakle Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/02/25 Full Review Vitor O A fantastic thriller with Peck and Mitchum stealing the show in every scene. This one keeps you on your toes as few movies did back in 1962. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/19/25 Full Review Tony M Cape Fear (1962) is a good film. I do prefer the 1991 remake but seeing the original is worth it. A good film that's well worth checking out. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/10/24 Full Review Stuart B If youve seen the Robert DeNiro film but not this original film- do check it out. Pure class and let OTT than the Scorsese film (which I do enjoy) Robert Mitchum is fantastically scary as Max Cady. If you make a list of classic films you should see, Cape Fear (1961) has to be on it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/08/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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