This unnerving compendium has made the transition from a successful international stage show (whose fanbase includes the director John Landis) to the big screen and draws inspiration from a rich history of horror, recalling the chilling and
nightmarish quality of films including the Amicus anthologies and 1945 portmanteau, Dead of Night.
It gives the whole
film a
nightmarish quality that, along with Mitchum's unforgettable performance, makes Night
of the Hunter among the best
films of its era.