This Is the Movie That Cillian Murphy Once Called “A Masterpiece, But Also a Tragedy”

Cillian Murphy has often spoken about the movies that inspired him, and one film stands out as a true favorite. In a 2016 interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Murphy named The Night of the Hunter from 1955 as “a masterpiece.”

“A masterpiece visually and in so many ways, but also a tragedy as Charles Laughton only directed this one film. Robert Mitchum is so rivetingly magnetic,” Murphy said, praising both the direction and Mitchum’s unforgettable performance.

The Night of the Hunter is a thriller directed by Charles Laughton and stars Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, and Lillian Gish.

The screenplay, written by James Agee, is based on the 1953 novel by Davis Grubb. The story follows Preacher Harry Powell (Mitchum), a serial killer who poses as a preacher and hunts two children to steal $10,000 hidden by their late father.

The story was inspired by a real-life killer, Harry Powers, who was executed in 1932 for murdering two widows and three children in West Virginia.

The film stands out for its lyrical, expressionistic style, borrowing from silent film techniques. Its striking visuals and innovative storytelling influenced directors like Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers, Spike Lee, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Altman, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

When it first premiered on July 26, 1955, in Des Moines, Iowa, the film received largely negative reviews, and it remained the only feature directed by Laughton. However, over the years, critics reevaluated it, and it is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. In 1992, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. French magazine Cahiers du Cinéma even ranked it the second-best film of all time in 2008, only behind Citizen Kane.

The film’s twist, the shocking reveal of Harry Powell’s true nature and his dangerous pursuit of the children, is one of the reasons it remains so powerful. It blends suspense, horror, and a moral lesson in a way that was rare for its time. The tension builds gradually, and the final confrontation feels both inevitable and devastating, showing Laughton’s mastery of cinematic storytelling.

Murphy’s admiration for the movie also comes from the emotional intensity and risks actors take to bring these characters to life. Robert Mitchum’s performance is magnetic because he committed fully to the menace and complexity of the role, creating a villain both terrifying and strangely compelling.

The film’s dark themes and experimental visuals made it a bold and memorable work that continues to inspire actors and filmmakers alike.

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