Shadow of a Doubt

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Shadow of a Doubt

PG

Released Jan 1, 1943

1h 48m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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100%

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54 Reviews

89%

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10,000+ Ratings

Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) visits his relatives in Santa Rosa. He is a very charming man, but his niece slowly realizes that he is wanted for murder and he soon recognizes her suspicions. Although one of the suspected murderers is killed and the case is considered closed, she still has her suspicions.

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Critics Consensus

Alfred Hitchcock's earliest classic -- and his own personal favorite -- deals its flesh-crawling thrills as deftly as its finely shaded characters.

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

It's Hitchcock unleashed...

Rated: 5/5

Jan 21, 2022

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Paul Trench

London Evening Standard

An Alfred Hitchcock picture is something of an event. This one, which runs for an hour and 45 minutes, is an ingenious and unorthodox thriller which is continuously entertaining.

May 26, 2021

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Age Staff

The Age (Australia)

A series of tense dramatic scenes superbly acted by Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright.

Apr 10, 2020

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Shadow of a Doubt is the ultimate “refrigerator movie”*, with a story so implausible that it only holds together because of the director’s remarkable ability at composition and the top-notch work of actors Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 13, 2024

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“Shadow of a Doubt” is an exceptional thriller built upon a very good story, some pitch-perfect performances, and slick direction.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

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Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

Hitchcock loved eroding moral bedrocks, most gaudily in the form of desecrating national monuments and more stealthily in the form of ineffectual cops, bumbling clergy, and psycho mothers.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 10, 2022

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Will G

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors. This was a fantastic film. The acting was great. The music was good. It is a very suspenseful movie and the story was surprising.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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William B

Great casting and storyline. One of my favorites of mystery. Definitely recommended to anyone

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/23/24

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Jay W

This one takes a little while to get going. The audience knows that Charlie Oakley is up to something, but we aren't quite sure what. This intrigue stretches to about 10 minutes before the runtime justifies it to stretch. Once the director shows all his cards, that is when the movie gets really good. There is a secret that Charlie Newton, Taresa Wright, knows about Charlie Oakley, Joseph Cotten, and that is where the real intrigue and suspense kicks in. Hitchcock is under appreciated as a comedic director. There are a lot of funny exchanges and situations that go in this film. You can't go wrong with Hitchcock, his suspensful writing makes the movie just as entertaining today as it was back in the 1940's. If you like good suspense, there is absolutely no doubt that you will enjoy this one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/21/24

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Alejandro E

Hitchcock, in one of his first productions that he would make in Hollywood. Its hallmark remained in force and this thriller is one of those examples. The suspense keeps the viewer upside down through out the 108 minutes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

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Luis M. D

Good movie but it’s not as dark and sinister as Orson Welles’ The Stranger (1946). Both stories follow similar structures but there are three crucial differences. First, Hitchcock’s villain plays a lighter role here, as compared to the sinister nazi character played by Orson Welles, whom we even see killing a fellow nazi. Second, uncle Charly, the villain, ‘confesses’ to his niece early on, so her shadow of a doubt becomes plain certainty. And third, Hitchcock, as usual, blends suspense with humor in a way Orson Welles did not. I prefer the darker tone of The Stranger but it’s all to personal preferences.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/26/24

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nick s

A very good quality production with a lot of attention paid to subtle character interactions. My only criticism was the ending, which felt out of place with the maturity of the direction up to that point.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Teresa Wright

Young Charlie Newton

Joseph Cotten

Charlie Oakley

Macdonald Carey

Jack Graham

Hume Cronyn

Herbie Hawkins

Henry Travers

Joseph Newton

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Synopsis

Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) visits his relatives in Santa Rosa. He is a very charming man, but his niece slowly realizes that he is wanted for murder and he soon recognizes her suspicions. Although one of the suspected murderers is killed and the case is considered closed, she still has her suspicions.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer: Jack H. Skirball
Screenwriter: Gordon McDonell, Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, Alma Reville
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1943, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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