The Night of the Hunter
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Where to watch: Not on major US streamers — check digital rental.
How it scared people
The vibe
Charles Laughton directed exactly one film, got savaged for it, and never tried again — which is its own horror story. Robert Mitchum's preacher, LOVE and HATE inked across his knuckles, hunts two children down a storybook river valley rendered in expressionist shadow, and the underwater shot you've heard about is stranger in context than out of it.
The Night of the Hunter (1955) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | No MPAA certificate (released outside the US system) |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 92 minutes |
| Jump scares | 2/5 — on the gentler side — it favors mood and atmosphere over hard scares |
| Gore | 1/5 — almost no gore |
| Dread | 4/5 — heavy atmosphere — expect it to sit with you afterwards |
| Themes | psychological distress; religious themes |
The Night of the Hunter carries no MPAA certificate. We score it 2/5 for jump scares, 1/5 for gore and 4/5 for lingering dread, over 92 minutes. Very little blood — the hard part here is atmosphere and aftermath, not graphic content. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is The Night of the Hunter?
- On our intensity scale, The Night of the Hunter rates 4/10 for jump scares and 8/10 for dread. It is on the gentler side — it favors mood and atmosphere over hard scares.
- How gory is The Night of the Hunter?
- The Night of the Hunter rates 2/10 for gore — expect almost no gore.
- How long is The Night of the Hunter?
- The Night of the Hunter runs 92 minutes (1h 32m).
- What is The Night of the Hunter rated?
- The Night of the Hunter has no MPAA certificate — common for films released outside the US. On our scale it rates 4/10 for jump scares, 2/10 for gore and 8/10 for dread.
- Where to watch The Night of the Hunter (1955)?
- The Night of the Hunter is not on major US subscription streamers right now — look for it on digital rental or purchase (Apple TV, Prime Video, or your usual store).
