Cape Fear

Play trailer

Cape Fear

R

1991

2h 8m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) knowingly withholds evidence that would acquit violent sex offender Max Cady (Robert De Niro) of rape charges, Max spends 14 years in prison. But after Max's release, knowing about Sam's deceit, he devotes his life to stalking and destroying the Bowden family. When practical attempts to stop Max fail, Sam realizes that he must act outside the law to protect his wife and daughter in Martin Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Smart and stylish, Cape Fear is a gleefully mainstream shocker from Martin Scorsese, with a terrifying Robert De Niro performance.

Read Critics Reviews

Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sep 25

Scary, gory and able to jangle your nerves in half a dozen ways.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

08/14/2023

Yet the grubby story is elevated by a superior cast in both the original and this grimly bloodthirsty remake.

Go to Full Review

Victoria Luxford

BBC.com

05/06/2022

(De Niro) had played a tough guy before, but never quite like this: a very sinister, very jagged, very dangerous character… put that together with Martin Scorsese at possibly the peak of his powers, and it’s a delightful if slightly scary film.

Go to Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Dec 18

5/5

This is a superbly taut and frightening chunk of suspense at once accessible and tinged with psychological complexity.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Aug 26

3/4

Technically, the film is a dazzling achievement, but De Niro’s performance wavers uneasily between brutish commitment and shallow parody.

Go to Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

05/08/2023

2.5/4

The picture's missteps are more than numerous.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

KH B.

@SilkySmooth Jan 13

Solid Remake. Robert Deniero’s Max Cady is truly disturbing. Wonderful talented performances by everyone in the cast Z

See more

Austin B

@Austin35 Jan 7

Just awesome. One of the greatest remakes I've ever seen. Jessica Lange and entire cast stunning. But Jessica Lange never looked better.

See more

Rob O.

@Robocop7 Dec 28

A chilling suspense thriller with outstanding acting all around but perhaps more noticeably with Robert De Niro

See more

paul o

@Paulo190408 Dec 12

Really good, suspenseful film. Well directed by Scorsese and well acted by all the characters.

See more

The_ P

Dec 10

One of my favorite films I've ever seen and a master class in suspense. What brings it down to a 9/10 is some of the editing (particularly during the climax) feeling disjointed, I would be willing to bet large sequences must have been shot but then pruned down. In one instance Nolte's character reacts to a sound outside of the house boat and then it cuts to him outside the boat fumbling with the anchor. While all 4 of the major cast act beautifully I want to give special praise to Jessica Lang for her outstanding work, every minor move of the muscle in her face was done masterfully to convey not only true fear, pain, anguish, and grief but also blending them so powerfully yet naturally. De Niro is often maligned for his later work but its films like these that prove he truly has the talent of a master. I truly believed he was the deranged Max Cady. This movie works best if you refuse to pause it, its a tense experience and as the characters experience this slow torture so too are you.

See more

Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 28

It was alright. I recently realized it was a remake to the original.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Martin Scorsese

Director

Robert De Niro

Max Cady

Nick Nolte

Sam Bowden

Jessica Lange

Leigh Bowden

Juliette Lewis

Danielle Bowden

Joe Don Baker

Claude Kersek

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Cady Kills Kersek

2:43

Cape Fear: Official Clip - More Than Human

2:34

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Cady Drowns

2:22

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Leigh Offers Herself

2:17

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Sucking Cady's Thumb

2:58

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Strip Search

2:35

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

2:58

Cape Fear: Official Clip - The People vs. Samuel Bowden

3:03

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Cady's Release

1:18

Cape Fear: Official Clip - Smoking and Cackling

2:23

View more videos

A Kiss Before Dying

31%

32%

A Kiss Before Dying

Watchlist

The Trigger Effect

72%

44%

The Trigger Effect

Watchlist

Fear

47%

63%

Fear

Watchlist

Everybody Wins

13%

33%

Everybody Wins

Watchlist

Thunderheart

91%

75%

Thunderheart

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Just Add Aretha: 11 Movie Moments Made Awesome By Aretha Franklin’s Music

View more photos

Synopsis

When attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) knowingly withholds evidence that would acquit violent sex offender Max Cady (Robert De Niro) of rape charges, Max spends 14 years in prison. But after Max's release, knowing about Sam's deceit, he devotes his life to stalking and destroying the Bowden family. When practical attempts to stop Max fail, Sam realizes that he must act outside the law to protect his wife and daughter in Martin Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Producer: Robert De Niro, Barbara De Fina
Screenwriter: John D. MacDonald, James R. Webb, Wesley Strick
Distributor: Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Home Entertainment
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Tribeca Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $76.4M
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now