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Strangers on a Train

Play trailer Poster for Strangers on a Train PG 1951 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller, tennis star Guy Haines is enraged by his trampy wife's refusal to finalize their divorce so he can wed senator's daughter Anne. He strikes up a conversation with a stranger, Bruno Anthony, and unwittingly sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Psychopathic Bruno kills Guy's wife, then urges Guy to reciprocate by killing Bruno's father. Meanwhile, Guy is murder suspect number one.
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Strangers on a Train

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Critics Consensus

A provocative premise and inventive set design lights the way for Hitchcock diabolically entertaining masterpiece.

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Critics Reviews

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Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) 11/02/2018
The upshot is a perfect Alfred Hitchcock thriller...with a ingenious plot taken from a Patricia Highsmith novel and a memorably seductive villain. Go to Full Review THR Staff The Hollywood Reporter 06/30/2017
Strangers on a Train is an admirable demonstration of Alfred Hitchcock's virtuosity in the area of suspense dramas. Go to Full Review TIME Magazine 08/30/2009
Winds up with a scene in which a merry-go-round goes wild, spins like a pin wheel, and crashes in a gaudy blaze of explosions that no earthly carrousel could touch off. The movie itself is the same way: implausible but intriguing and great fun to ride. Go to Full Review Cameron Meier MeierMovies.com Apr 6
4.5/5
"Strangers," shot in beautiful black and white, is a treat for the eyes and brain, particularly because it was apparently the last Hitchcock film shot on nitrate. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 4
3.5/4
Robert Walker's creepy performance ranks among the best found in any Hitchcock film. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 02/08/2025
... one of Alfred Hitchcock’s undisputed masterpieces, a thriller of demented wish fulfillment turned into a waking nightmare that turns on a chance meeting. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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bruce F @bruce999 Aug 15 classic hitchcock. a chance meeting on a train, puts into motion a man killing someone, just to get the other person to shoot his father. a really good acted movie. See more Howie B @Howie10 Aug 4 75 years on and the second film of a Double Feature (alongside another classic ‘North by North West’) shown in a packed cinema on a wet cold winter’s night saw this classic Hitchcock receive the applause from the appreciative and privileged audience. Some of the plot was a tad thin by today’s standards perhaps, but it still captivated the film-goers and produced entertainment in abundance! Yes, we saw you Alfred… See more Kevin R @RT42656089 Jun 10 One of Hitchcock's best. Still works today. Excellent cast. Thank you. See more G L. @RT09869090 May 17 Another great movie by the great Alfred Hitchcock! See more Teddy B @RT90521672 Jan 27 An eclectic, small-scale thriller that upholds one master of suspense and introduces the movie-watching world to another: the excellent Patricia Highsmith, and her sterling debut novel wonderfully translated to the silver screen. See more Jason H @RT50328122 Jan 4 I liked the first half a lot more than the second half. Excellent performance by Robert Walker. See more Read all reviews
Strangers on a Train

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Cast & Crew

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Robert Walker

Bruno Anthony

Farley Granger

Guy Haines

Ruth Roman

Anne Morton

Leo G. Carroll

Sen. Morton

Patricia Hitchcock

Barbara Morton

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Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train (1951) Strangers on a Train (1951) Strangers on a Train (1951) A scene from "Strangers on a Train." A scene from "Strangers on a Train." A scene from "Strangers on a Train." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller, tennis star Guy Haines is enraged by his trampy wife's refusal to finalize their divorce so he can wed senator's daughter Anne. He strikes up a conversation with a stranger, Bruno Anthony, and unwittingly sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Psychopathic Bruno kills Guy's wife, then urges Guy to reciprocate by killing Bruno's father. Meanwhile, Guy is murder suspect number one.
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Producer
Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter
Whitfield Cook, Patricia Highsmith, Czenzi Ormonde
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Bros.
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 1951, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2008
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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