Dial M for Murder
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: May 28, 1954 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesBosley Crowther
The thrills come in following a succession of dawnings in people's minds.But Mr. Hitchcock has presented this mental material on the screen with remarkable visual definition of developing intrigue and mood. Read full review
80
Village VoiceB. Kite
If the things here are homelier and less loved than, say, Marnie's neon yellow purse or Cary Grant's glowing glass of milk, and the film itself no one's idea of major Hitch, it remains a fascinating investigation of a stillborn process from one of cinema's most dedicated inquisitors of structure. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw
The result is a rather stagey film whose back projections look quaint, with 3D apparently used to foreground items of furniture, such as table-lamps, giving rise to some eccentric camera-angles. But the set-up is ingenious and the "kill" scene genuinely thrilling. [2013 3D Release] Read full review
80
TimeStaff (Not Credited)
Dial M is starred with fine scenes and good performances. Though played as contemporary melodrama, it somehow manages to reflect the gaslight magic of turn-of-the-century London. Read full review
80
Time OutGuy Lodge
Its trick is to generate considerable suspense while withholding nothing from the audience. Its pleasures are not profound ones, but there’s enough dimensionality up on the screen to compensate. [2013 3D Release] Read full review
75
Slant MagazineRob Humanick
What tends to make even lesser Hitchcock films shine is his innate gift for directing performers, and this accounts for many of the pleasures of this ditty. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneJohn Petrakis
It remains the best movie ever photographed in 3-D, although the film, adapted from Frederick Knott's stage play, seems less than ideal for the 3-D process, given its tight interiors and extended dialogue scenes. [19 May 2000]
70
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Lower case Hitch, but diverting and sleek, with the climax early on. [review of original release] Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
The screenplay tends to constrain rather than liberate Hitchcock's thematic thrust, but there is much of technical value in his geometric survey of the scene and the elaborate strategies employed to transfer audience sympathy among the four main characters. Read full review
60
EmpireDavid Parkinson
Despite Hitchcock's own reservations this is definitely worth a look. Interesting to his aficionados and darkly funny and depressing in turns. Read full review
60
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
There are a number of basic weaknesses in the setup that keep the picture from being a good suspense show for any but the most gullible. Via the performances and several suspense tricks expected of Hitchcock, the weaknesses are glossed over but not enough to rate the film a cinch winner. Read full review
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