The Night of the Hunter

With an illustrious acting career spanning decades and genres, it’s miraculous that Charles Laughton only stepped behind the camera for one film. Even more miraculous, perhaps, is how the towering English thespian managed to encapsulate so vividly the aesthetic and narrative thrust of the American Southern Gothic in The Night of the Hunter. This eerie story of a serial killer posing as a preacher weaves together elements of Expressionism and the style of silent films, imbuing a haunting tale with a truly singular visual identity. Featuring Robert Mitchum in his finest performance and silent film star Lillian Gish in a late career peak, the film is haunting, tense, and downright sinister. Laughton’s opus would go on to influence a generation of filmmakers including Robert Altman, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese.