Shadow of a Doubt
Universal Pictures | Release Date: January 15, 1943 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
94
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago ReaderDave Kehr
Hitchcock's discovery of darkness within the heart of small-town America remains one of his most harrowing films, a peek behind the facade of security that reveals loneliness, despair, and death. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
No one would ever accuse Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt of being plausible, but it is framed so distinctively in the Hitchcock style that it plays firmly and never breaks out of the story. Read full review
100
The New York TimesBosley Crowther
You've got to hand it to Alfred Hitchcock: when he sows the fearful seeds of mistrust in one of his motion pictures he can raise more goose pimples to the square inch of a customer's flesh than any other director of thrillers in Hollywood. Read full review
100
Slant MagazineFernando Croce
Hitch’s habit of taking us to the edge of the abyss and then returning us with a wink, so often resulting in unconvincing happy endings, here seals one of his most pitiless visions of a monstrous cosmos admitted only to be denied. Read full review
100
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The sly Hitchcock made this chiller all the more frightening by having his crafty homicidal maniac intrude into the tranquility of a warm, middle-class family living in a small town, deeply developing his characters and drawing from the soft-spoken Joseph Cotten one of the actor's most remarkable and fascinating performances. Read full review
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Shadow is the acme of Hitchcock's special principal of dramatic counterpoint. The surface is sunny and buoyant; dark, deadly currents flow underneath. [26 Nov 1999, p.A]
100
Orlando SentinelCrosby Day
Shadow of a Doubt is considered to be director Alfred Hitchcock's best American film. Hitchcock himself regarded it so. [02 Aug 1998, p.60]
90
TimeStaff (Not Credited)
A superb film. Read full review
90
The DissolveKeith Phipps
Hitchcock is fully Hitchcock here, plunging deeply into his characters’ psyches, and remaining in full control of every cinematic effect. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeMichael Bowen
Hitchcock at his cynical best. [18 Sept 1988, p.87]
88
Miami HeraldHal Boedeker
It's a fine mix of suspense and character study. [02 Mar 1990, p.G41]
80
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
Funny, gripping, and expertly shot by Joe Valentine, it's a small but memorable gem. Read full review
80
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Hitchcock deftly etches his small-town characters and homey surroundings. Wright provides a sincere and persuasive portrayal as the girl, while Cotten is excellent as the motivating factor in the proceedings. Read full review
80
EmpireEmma Cochrane
Certainly one of Hitchcock’s most satisfying thrillers, mostly thanks to Wright and Cotten’s believable relationship. Read full review
70
The New YorkerPauline Kael
It's very well worked out in terms of character and it has a sustained grip, but it certainly isn't as much fun as several of his other films.
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