Strangers on a Train

Name: Strangers on a Train
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir
Released: June 30, 1951
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 88
Cast: Farley Granger, Howard St. John, John Brown, Jonathan Hale, Kasey Rogers

1951

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Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 67 Ratings

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8.6

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8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 67 Ratings

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Strangers On A Train

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Movie Details & Credits

Motion Picture Export Association (MPEA) | Release Date: June 30, 1951 | TV-PG

Starring: Farley Granger, Howard St. John, John Brown, Jonathan Hale, Kasey Rogers, Leo G. Carroll, Marion Lorne, Patricia Hitchcock, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman

Summary: A psychotic socialite attempts to force a professional tennis star to prove a theory that two complete strangers can get away with murder.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Genre(s): Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 101 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Pauline Kael

It's intensely enjoyable--in some ways the best of Hitchcock's American films.

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Strangers on a Train ranks at the top of Hitchcock's most accomplished works, a masterpiece that is so carefully constructed and its characters so well developed that the viewer is quickly intimate and comfortable with the story long before Bruno turns killer. Read full review

100

Staff (Not Credited)

Director Hitchcock toys with this plot as lovingly as the crack-brained murderer, plays it for wry irony and unexpected humor as well as suspense. But he seems less interested in making his audiences believe in the story's outrageously rigged situations than in teasing, tricking and dazzling them with the masterful touch of a talented cinematic showoff. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Perhaps Strangers on a Train still hasn't yielded all its secrets. Read full review

Eric Henderson

Strangers on a Train, though undoubtedly effective as a classic Hitchcock thriller, is also nothing more complicated than one elongated gay cruise joke-cum-horror story. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Strangers on a Train is also simply a great thriller, yet another illustration of Hitchcock’s awe-inspiring ability to convey more with a single image than most directors can with minutes upon minutes of belabored set pieces. Read full review

Bosley Crowther

Mr. Hitchcock again is tossing a crazy murder story in the air and trying to con us into thinking that it will stand up without support. Read full review

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User Reviews

Gamzguy17

Aug 21, 2021

Super smart, witty, suspenseful, and gorgeous on the eyes, 'Strangers on a Train' masterfully exploits insanity and human's difficulties in decision making to deliver a knock-out thriller plot that brilliantly starts, builds, and ends. It stands tall as one of Hitchcock's best efforts as aSuper smart, witty, suspenseful, and gorgeous on the eyes, 'Strangers on a Train' masterfully exploits insanity and human's difficulties in decision making to deliver a knock-out thriller plot that brilliantly starts, builds, and ends. It stands tall as one of Hitchcock's best efforts as a director and one of the best films from the 1950's.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

gracjanski

Aug 26, 2021

Most of the scenes are great and with well written characters, especially Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony is perfect. But some of the scenes are looking outdated.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

amheretojudge

Dec 6, 2018

Strangers On A Train is actually quite familiar on Hitchcock's world, a quirky brutal era that breathes for inanity.

Strangers On A Train Hitchcock's another perfect plan for a perfect crime is wisely not a gut wrenching bloodbath but a poised and reserved act of trauma. And just like itsStrangers On A Train is actually quite familiar on Hitchcock's world, a quirky brutal era that breathes for inanity.

Strangers On A Train

Hitchcock's another perfect plan for a perfect crime is wisely not a gut wrenching bloodbath but a poised and reserved act of trauma. And just like its opening sequence, Hitchcock has you hooked from the first footage and similar to it, the storytelling is fluent and gripping. The conversations are pragmatic and are brimmed with humor and ironic drama that is imputed smoothly without any compromise on the track. The concept is very amusing and yet convincing through brilliant execution, and has the potential to boost off the film for the entire feature. Hitchcock uses the props and creates an arc out of them like a character where the entire feature ends up hanging on it.

Wisely, the makers aren't confined on delivering the rudimentary process of investigation along with the usual cat and mouse chase. Instead, the screenplay is quite fast paced and is always ready to evolve with a smarter script that keeps the audience on the brisk, with its gritty ideology and metaphorical cinematography that helps view this tale with a more brighter and clearer lens. The performance isn't extraordinary or eye popping but as far as cynicism is concerned Walker's body language does give you the chills.

And on the other hand the victim of the film, Granger unfortunately doesn't have much range to factor in effectively especially since his character is basically a scaredy cat for the most part of it. This meticulous novel is adapted with smart editing and crispy cinematic sequences bubbled up (especially the followed up or the aftermath of the crime that is wound up in one big scene) from it that remains the highlight of it and stays with you even after you leave the screen. Strangers On A Train is actually quite familiar on Hitchcock's world, a quirky brutal era that breathes for inanity.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

FilipeNeto

Mar 1, 2021

Another excellent Hitchcock film

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, and this film is undoubtedly a very good one, despite not yet considering him, even, as one of the best of the director. There is really no mystery in this film, we know everything that goes on, but we still stayAnother excellent Hitchcock film

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, and this film is undoubtedly a very good one, despite not yet considering him, even, as one of the best of the director. There is really no mystery in this film, we know everything that goes on, but we still stay to see it, because the characters were so well built that we care what will happen.

In this film, two strangers start talking during a long train ride: one is Guy Haines, a renowned tennis player who is going through a tumultuous divorce to marry another woman; the other is Bruno Antony, a spoiled aristocrat who maintains a conflicted relationship with his father, on whom he depends financially. It is Bruno who makes the decision, therefore, to solve their problems by helping each other: Guy would kill Bruno's father and he, in turn, would murder Guy's wife, in the hope of not being caught.

The film is good but the plot lacks logic and meaning. Bruno, especially, is a character devoid of any coherence, as he has attitudes that anyone, even an unusual person, would decide not to have, like trying to convince a stranger to kill his father. It is something so strange and apparently crazy that it has no verisimilitude.

The cast is based on the elegant and successful performance of two actors: Farley Granger and Robert Walker. Both are excellent and, when they come together and share the screen, they become even more remarkable and grand, particularly Walker, who seems crazy and truly dangerous in his character. Ruth Roman, Kasey Rogers and Patricia Hitchcock also did a satisfying job.

Technically, it is an impeccable film: elegant cinematography makes good use of the effects of light and shadow, and the footage is crisp and beautifully framed. The effects are discreet and the sets and costumes are very good.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

akshatmahajan

Nov 19, 2021

I have been watching Alfred Hitchcock's movie nowadays. His movies are so different and fun to watch. He made movies which were ahead of it's time. This movie is his another great work.

This movie had everything a crime mystery drama should have. It was nicely made. The direction,I have been watching Alfred Hitchcock's movie nowadays. His movies are so different and fun to watch. He made movies which were ahead of it's time. This movie is his another great work.

This movie had everything a crime mystery drama should have. It was nicely made. The direction, performances by the actors, story.... everything was good. There is thrill and suspense till the end. Movie tries to confuse you due to which you are unable to predict the ending. One thing that I didn't like about the story was that some scenes in conclusion part were unnecessary and overstretched and the last scene wrapped quickly. Other than that it's a good watch. Overall, it is a good crime drama thriller which will keep you bounded till the end.… Expand

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CodyZamboni

Aug 31, 2019

For me this was just okay Hitchcock I never empathized with any character, and the plot of switching murders is too ludicrous to buy. And the pace was kinda draggy. But, I do give props the strong performers and Hitchcock's bravura carousel ending.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Dec 21, 2018

Pour un film de Hitchcock, le fameux Maître... de l'ennui, réalisateur-tortue déjà surcoté à cette époque et davantage encore par la suite, L'Inconnu du Nord-Express reste à peu près regardable selon bien sûr la tolérance du moment du spectateur.

Il faut dire que contrairement à ses autresPour un film de Hitchcock, le fameux Maître... de l'ennui, réalisateur-tortue déjà surcoté à cette époque et davantage encore par la suite, L'Inconnu du Nord-Express reste à peu près regardable selon bien sûr la tolérance du moment du spectateur.

Il faut dire que contrairement à ses autres "oeuvres", le film démarre assez prestement (au lieu de caler habituellement comme une vieille poubelle) grâce à l'idée évidemment brillante (que l'on doit au roman de Patricia Highsmith) de l'échange des meurtres. Mais le film connaît ici et là quelques lenteurs dont le Maître est si friand ainsi que les séquences superflues syndicales.

On reconnaît également les tics et les tocs du réalisateur qui passent davantage pour un maniérisme un brin pédant que pour des éclairs de génie, contrairement à ce que l'on veut nous faire croire. Sa réalisation reste en tout cas d'un bon niveau et non cloîtrée dans le studio aux projos de 3000W, ce qui est à la fois surprenant et très appréciable de sa part.

Nous tiquons néanmoins de temps à autre devant quelques invraisemblances ("pourquoi il me regarde comme ça ? c'est lui l'assassin !" ou "j'ai déjà vu ce type-là la semaine dernière, c'est donc lui l'assassin !" ou bien "il joue à étrangler Mamie (?!) c'est donc lui l'assassin !"... et ainsi de suite... sans compter bien entendu le final bien ridicule, complètement hystérique sur le manège... Pour autant, Hitchcock ne parvient pas à nous faire roupiller (à son grand dam ou à son insu sans doute) et ce polar arrive à aiguiser la curiosité grâce au jeu assez bien défini du personnage machiavélique, vindicatif et obsessionnel qui donne un bon air de thriller à ce polar. Une demi-mauvaise surprise donc pour un Hitchcock à peu près comestible.… Expand

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