My Cousin Rachel

Released Dec 24, 1954

1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

List

60%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

When Philip Ashley's (Richard Burton) wealthy cousin, Ambrose (John Sutton), dies suddenly, his suspicions drift to Ambrose's new and icy wife, Rachel (Olivia de Havilland), who stands to benefit greatly from his cousin's death. When Ashley is introduced to Rachel at Ambrose's funeral, however, his fears are immediately laid to rest: how could such a beautiful young woman possibly be a murderer? But when the estate is left to Ashley, he begins to fear for his life.

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ashley h

My Cousin Rachel is a terrific film. It is about a young man who plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin. Richard Burton and Olivia de Havilland give fantastic performances. The screenplay is good but a little slow in places. Henry Koster did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama and mystery. My Cousin Rachel is a must see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

william k

Superior adaptation of a Daphne Du Maurier,novel has, similar to Rebecca, a mystery about an enigmatic woman and good Gothic settings and atmosphere as well as a competent cast, although the the ending is somewhat confusing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steve d

Really solid drama with great acting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

matthew d

A well made Gothic period drama. Henry Koster's atmospheric direction is excellent for his moody period drama My Cousin Rachel (1952). Koster knows how to pull performances out of people that are effective. All of Joseph LaShelle's black and white cinematography is striking with shadows everywhere in a dark manor. I love Daphne du Maurier's writing about a conniving woman playing men for their fortunes and a miserable young man overzealous in his affections and suspicious about his love. Nunnally Johnson's script is poignant, yet fun as he plays with language and conversation with underlying meanings to every word. I liked Franz Waxman's melodic and dreary score that gives My Cousin Rachel a bleak vibe. Olivia de Havilland is quite pretty and intriguing as the manipulative and charming Mrs. Rachel Sangalletti Ashley. Havilland excels at expressing Rachel's true feelings with a screw of her mouth, a quick pout, or a roll of the eyes. Richard Burton is intense, sympathetic, manic, and over the top as Philip Ashley. He's rightfully accusatory, but then goes overboard in his zeal for love. Burton plays Philip quite well. Audrey Dalton is absolutely gorgeous as Louise Kendall in My Cousin Rachel and honestly prettier than Olivia de Havilland. She's a neat foil for Burton to converse with as they ruminate, discuss, and contemplate Rachel's schemes. Everyone else is rather forgettable and conventional. I liked this movie, but I wanted to love it. It's so technically well made, but for a 98 minute long movie, it does have some boring parts. It could have been edited with more of a flair to keep me more engaged. I love the lead performances and music score though. In all, My Cousin Rachel is a classic that mostly holds up to contemporary standards.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Entre gòtica y misteriosa.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

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Henry Koster

Director

Olivia de Havilland

Rachel Sangalletti Ashley

Richard Burton

Philip Ashley

Audrey Dalton

Louise Kendall

John Sutton

Ambrose Ashley

Ronald Squire

Nicholas "Nick" Kendall

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Today, it's mainly remembered for nabbing Richard Burton a ridiculous Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor -- ridiculous not because he's bad in the film, but ridiculous because he's the lead actor and appears in almost every scene in the picture.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 18, 2021

Full Review

Manny Farber

The Nation

The picture happens to be a mystery, but because it is tied to the wispy conventions of romantic fiction, it never gets on the road.

Sep 15, 2021

Full Review

Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

...a delicious romantic melodrama ruthlessly dissecting the fragility of the male ego that's remembered less for its own merit than the notedness of its cast and crew.

Rated: 7/10

Jun 3, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Overwrought melodrama."

Rated: C+

Apr 15, 2016

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Richard Burton received his first Oscar nomination for his American debut in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel, co-starring Olivia de Havilland.

Rated: B

Jun 17, 2012

Full Review

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Synopsis

When Philip Ashley's (Richard Burton) wealthy cousin, Ambrose (John Sutton), dies suddenly, his suspicions drift to Ambrose's new and icy wife, Rachel (Olivia de Havilland), who stands to benefit greatly from his cousin's death. When Ashley is introduced to Rachel at Ambrose's funeral, however, his fears are immediately laid to rest: how could such a beautiful young woman possibly be a murderer? But when the estate is left to Ashley, he begins to fear for his life.

Director: Henry Koster
Screenwriter: Nunnally Johnson
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2011
Runtime: 1h 38m

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