Film Club: The Night of the Hunter (12A)

The Night of the Hunter (1955) is a highly regarded American psychological thriller and film noir, directed by Charles Laughton in his only directorial effort. The film is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb.

The story is set during the Great Depression and follows a sinister figure, Reverend Harry Powell (played by Robert Mitchum), a self-proclaimed preacher with a violent, manipulative nature. Powell marries a widow named Willa Harper (played by Shelley Winters), whose husband had hidden a large sum of money before his death.

Her two children, John and Pearl (played by Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce), are the only ones who know the location of the money. The film follows the children’s journey to escape Powell’s evil clutches as he seeks to find out the money's whereabouts.

Running Time: 92 minutes