The Night of the Hunter (1955, USA, Dir. Charles Laughton)

Though often shelved as noir, this single masterpiece by actor-turned-director Laughton is pure dark fairy tale.
A murderous preacher hunts two children downriver, but the story unfolds like a morality play told by a child’s nightmare.
Expressionist shadows, haunting hymns, and mythic good-versus-evil storytelling — it’s fantasy realism at its most American and timeless.

Rating: 🛶🌕✝️👁️💤 / 5