Cast

Robert Mitchum Shelley Winters Lillian Gish James Gleason Evelyn Varden Peter Graves

Credits

Written by: Davis Grubb

Plot

In Depression-era West Virginia, the self-styled preacher Harry Powell, with 'LOVE' and 'HATE' tattooed on his knuckles, learns of stolen money hidden by a hanged man and marries his widow Willa to get it. The children, John and Pearl, know where the money is and flee down a river, pursued by the murderous preacher. Robert Mitchum stars.

Sinekatalog’s take

A haunting, poetic thriller that looks like a fairy tale told in German Expressionist shadows. A failure in 1955, it is now regarded as one of the most original American films, and Mitchum's menace is unforgettable.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 7.9 / 10 (109,866 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.