North by Northwest

Released Jul 17, 1959

2h 16m

Mystery & Thriller

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List

97%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

This classic suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted relentlessly by Vandamm's associates, the harried Thornhill ends up on a cross-country journey, meeting the beautiful and mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) along the way. Soon Vandamm's henchmen close in on Thornhill, resulting in a number of iconic action sequences.

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Critics Consensus

Gripping, suspenseful, and visually iconic, this late-period Hitchcock classic laid the groundwork for countless action thrillers to follow.

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

The plotting is tightly wound and the thrills are executed with devilish panache.

Aug 29, 2022

Full Review

Pauline Kael

New Yorker

Though not as cleverly original as Strangers on a Train, or as cleverly sexy as Notorious, this is one of Hitchcock’s most entertaining American thrillers.

Jul 6, 2022

Full Review

Barbara L. Wilson

Philadelphia Inquirer

Alfred Hitchcock's new thriller, North by Northwest, is one of those no holds barred films. For better than two hours, he lets the Technicolor melodrama ramble across the VistaVision screen while gleefully setting traps for his hero.

Jun 9, 2021

Full Review

Zach Youngs

InSession Film

In spite of a few flaws, North by Northwest remains an unqualified triumph. It’s got some of the best humor, dark and otherwise, in any Hitchcock film and it never lags for a second of its run time.

Rated: A

Jul 25, 2024

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

An effortless two hours and sixteen minutes of classic set-pieces, unlikely traps and amusingly off-the-cuff escapes, all starring the handsomest tan ever to step onto a film set.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 11, 2024

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

A splashy adventure...a precursor for the kind of jet-setting, debonair intrigue that would become ubiquitous...

Sep 22, 2023

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Joan

Classic Hitchcock and Cary Grant! Suspenseful and we'll written and directed! Not to be missed on the big screen!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

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Marco A

My favorite Hitchcock movie and one of my all time favorites overall. Just pure fun and enjoyment, perfect balance of thrills/adventure/comedy/romance with great dialogues. A film that had the style of Bond before Bond, but that would have been one of the top Bond films all time as well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/23/21

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Audience Member

As far as thrillers go, this as good as it gets. As far as film's in general go, this is as good as it gets. It has stood the test of time and is easily one of the greatest films ever made, combining humor, suspense, and mystery together unlike any other.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/08/24

Full Review

julie b

Lovely blend of fun yet suspenseful. Acting and dialogue are both slick and silly without being gimmicky, which I find is often hard for old movies, and it’s accompanied by a classic eerie score. It felt a little long in the last third as I kept waiting for it to have a shocking twist, but it pays off in the end

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

Full Review

Fer S

I loved the fast pacing. The cinematography is excellent and ending has great suspense. The plot however gets absurd plenty of times.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

Full Review

Ted B

4.5 stars; Along with "The Man Who Knew Too Much," "North by Northwest" are by far the best spy thriller movies that Alfred Hitchcock made. In fact, I would put them on a list with the best movies that Mr. Hitchcock made. So many twists and turns lead to the final outcome. This movie keeps you guessing because it is so very well constructed. Cary Grant plays the debonair, wealthy playboy who, as an innocent bystander, gets wrapped up in a high-level spy ring. Eva Marie Saint plays his love interest and does a great job of keeping you in the dark as to whose side she is on. James Mason and Martin Landau give good performances as the evil adversaries. Yes, I know that the plot is somewhat of a stretch, but it doesn't matter. This movie is loaded with gripping suspense. That's what you go to the movies for—to be thrilled! There is a light touch of comedy and romance to round out the story. This film has two iconic scenes that are always shown when discussing top 100 films: the crop duster chase scene and the escape scene down the faces of the Mount Rushmore Monument. This film has it all. How can you not be entertained?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/19/24

Full Review

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Cary Grant

Roger O. Thornhill

Eva Marie Saint

Eve Kendall

James Mason

Phillip Vandamm

Leo G. Carroll

The Professor

Martin Landau

Leonard

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North by Northwest: Trailer 1

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North by Northwest (1959) Presented by TCM: Fathom Events Trailer

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Synopsis

This classic suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted relentlessly by Vandamm's associates, the harried Thornhill ends up on a cross-country journey, meeting the beautiful and mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) along the way. Soon Vandamm's henchmen close in on Thornhill, resulting in a number of iconic action sequences.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Ernest Lehman
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 17, 1959, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 19, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2009
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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