Remember how Oasis didn’t exist in the world of Danny Boyle‘s Yesterday because the Beatles weren’t around to influence them? It’s possible that David Fincher would have a very different career were it not for a serial killer movie — perhaps the best one ever made — released in 1955. Fincher has directed some of the best serial killer films of all time — Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Se7en, and even The Killer. Not to mention his Netflix series Mindhunter. Each of these titles owes a creative debt to the 1955 classic, which has also influenced the work of Martin Scorsese, the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, and Guillermo del Toro.
Here’s the good news: the classic film is going to become very easy to access in June, which is when it lands on Prime Video. Directed by Charles Laughton, the movie follows a serial killer who arrives in a small town, posing as a preacher. The movie was inspired by a real-life killer named Harry Powers, who murdered his victims for money after luring them via newspaper ads. His life inspired a 1953 novel, which in turn inspired Laughton’s movie. It’s now considered one of the greatest movies ever made, in addition to being arguably the best serial killer film and the finest Southern Gothic thriller of all time.
The Movie Went From Being Critically Reviled to Becoming a Classic
We’re talking, of course, about The Night of the Hunter. It features one of that era’s landmark performances, delivered by Robert Mitchum as the central serial killer. Interestingly, The Night of the Hunter was the only movie where Laughton, better known as an actor, was solely credited as the director. Because it underperformed at the box office, the follow-up feature that Laughton was developing as a potential directorial vehicle was handed over to someone else. The movie’s critical response at the time wasn’t very positive. “Seldom has so much ugliness been put into one movie, some of it dragged in for no apparent reason,” wrote the Chicago Tribune. However, it was re-appraised a few years later, evolving from a cult classic to a stone-cold masterpiece over the decades. It now holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the film on Prime Video from June 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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August 26, 1955
- Runtime
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93 Minutes
- Director
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Charles Laughton
- Writers
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Davis Grubb, James Agee, Charles Laughton
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Robert Mitchum
Preacher Harry Powell
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