Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

92% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings

After an eight-year prison sentence for rape, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) targets Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), one of the lawyers who sent him away. When Max finds Sam and his family, he begins a terrifying stalking spree, intending to ruin Sam's life. Desperate to protect his wife and daughter, Sam makes every effort to send Max back to jail. But when his attempts fail, Sam realizes that he must take matters into his own hands if he wants to rid his life of Max for good.

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Cape Fear

Cape Fear

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Critics Consensus

An exemplary thriller powered by Robert Mitchum's chilling performance and Bernard Herrmann's sinister score, Cape Fear seethes with perfectly modulated tension.

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Critics Reviews

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Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Bosley Crowther New York Times A cold-blooded, calculated build-up of sadistic menace and shivering dread is accomplished with frightening adroitness in J. Lee Thompson's melodrama Cape Fear. May 9, 2005 Full Review Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Nell Minow Movie Mom Keep-you-up-all-night terrifying! Rated: 5/5 Feb 7, 2003 Full Review Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Penelope Gilliatt Observer (UK) There is some efficient terror-business in the film, but the suspicion that a meal is being made of your cringing stomach and your glazed eyeballs isn't very endearing. Nor is the brutal retributive climax. Mar 9, 2024 Full Review Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault A sturdy, frightening thriller, with Robert Mitchum in a powerhouse turn. Rated: A Nov 29, 2022 Full Review Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Janet Graves Photoplay [Mitchum] makes the nice folks look weak and unconvincing. But then the story as a whole isn't realistic -- though it goes into unnecessary and distasteful detail. Dec 15, 2020 Full Review Cape Fear | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Mike Massie Gone With The Twins The film gets all the beats right; the situations alternate between nerve-wracking and infuriating and horrifying, all while the pacing stays precise. Rated: 9/10 Aug 24, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tony M Cape Fear (1962) is a good film. I do prefer the 1991 remake but seeing the original is worth it. A good film that's well worth checking out. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/10/24 Full Review Stuart B If youve seen the Robert DeNiro film but not this original film- do check it out. Pure class and let OTT than the Scorsese film (which I do enjoy) Robert Mitchum is fantastically scary as Max Cady. If you make a list of classic films you should see, Cape Fear (1961) has to be on it. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/08/24 Full Review Jeff M More straightforward but less psychologically complex than the Scorsese remake, Peck and Mitchum excel in this tense thriller. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review g j Mitchum is pretty strong, and the camerawork is very good. Ultimately, this hasn't aged very well though and, until the finale, mostly comes across as stilted, terse and a bit flat. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/06/24 Full Review Pedro G Muy buena película, gran thriller psicológico que te mantiene tenso en muchos momentos. Esta es una cinta bastante antigua, lo que puede parecer que se quedo en el tiempo o envejeció mal, sin embargo esto no es así ya que a pesar del paso del tiempo sigue logrando causar el mismo impacto que causaba cuando salió. Es una cinta con una muy buena historia, la cual es entretenida a pesar de que por momentos a mi parecer tiene un ritmo algo lento, pero esto no es problema para semejante obra. El personaje de Max Cady me parece brillante, un loco maniaco que logra imponer miedo y tensión con solo verlo y el actor lo hace espectacular. Tiene muchas escenas tensas y de suspenso que están muy bien logradas, junto a un soundtrack que ayuda mucho a lograr eso. Por otro lado, las actuaciones es otra cosa que destacar ya que son geniales, principalmente las de Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, Lori Martin y Polly Bergen. El tono en blanco y negro es algo que si bien no es de mis cosas favoritas en una película, la verdad es que con esta no me quejo y me parece que queda muy bien. Por ultimo, debería ver si el remake es superior a esta cinta, lo cual es complicado pero tengo fe que puede superarla. En conclusión, una muy buena película, con una historia excelente y entretenida, con personajes memorables que no vas a olvidar y escenas tensas que te van a mantener enganchado a la película. Muy recomendada. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review Samir N Just meh old movie nothing to see Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

J. Lee Thompson Director Gregory Peck Sam Bowden Robert Mitchum Max Cady Polly Bergen Peggy Bowden Lori Martin Nancy Bowden Martin Balsam Police Chief Mark Dutton
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Cape Fear

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Synopsis After an eight-year prison sentence for rape, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) targets Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), one of the lawyers who sent him away. When Max finds Sam and his family, he begins a terrifying stalking spree, intending to ruin Sam's life. Desperate to protect his wife and daughter, Sam makes every effort to send Max back to jail. But when his attempts fail, Sam realizes that he must take matters into his own hands if he wants to rid his life of Max for good.

Director
J. Lee Thompson

Producer
Sy Bartlett

Screenwriter
John D. MacDonald, James R. Webb

Distributor
Universal International Pictures

Production Co
Melville-Talbot Productions

Genre
Mystery & Thriller

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 12, 1962, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 21, 2015

Runtime
1h 45m

Sound Mix
Mono

Aspect Ratio
35mm
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