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Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock ... see more see more... , Laura Elliot , Marion Lorne , Jonathan Hale , Howard St. John , John Brown , Norma Varden , Robert Gist , John Doucette , Joel Allen , Murray Alper , Monya Andre , John K. Butler , Leonard Carey , Edward Clark , Roy Engel , Tommy Farrell , Sam Flint , Edward Hearn , Al Hill , Harry Hines , Edna Holland , J. Louis Johnson , Charles Meredith , Ralph Moody , Rolland Morris , Odette Myrtil , Minna Phillips , Georges Renavent , Dick Ryan , Laura Treadwell , Joe Warfield , Dick Wessel , Louis Lettieri , Janet Stewart , Shirley Tegge , Mary Alan Hokanson , Kasey Rogers , Leo Carroll

In one of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classics, tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Having read all about Guy, Bruno is awa... read more read more...re that the tennis player is trapped in an unhappy marriage to to wife Miriam (Laura Elliott) and has been seen in the company of senator's daughter Ann Morton (Ruth Roman). Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father (Jonathan Hale). As Guy listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of "exchange murders." Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy's wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno's father? With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? When he reaches his destination, Guy bids goodbye to Bruno, thinking nothing more of the affable but rather curious young man's homicidal theories. And then, Guy's wife turns up strangled to death. Co-adapted by Raymond Chandler from a novel by Patricia Highsmith, Strangers on a Train perfectly exemplifies Hitchcock's favorite theme of the evil that lurks just below the surface of everyday life and ordinary men. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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98% liked it

41 critics

PG, 1 hr. 41 min.

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Release Date: July 3, 1951

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DVD Release Date: August 27, 1997

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Stats: 1,985 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,985)

  • fb619846742
    October 19, 2012
    fb619846742
    A bonafide suspense classic concerning an up-and-coming tennis player (Farley Granger) who meets a psychopath (Robert Walker) on a train by chance, and how the troubled man thinks he strikes a deal with the athlete on him murdering his girlfriend if he murders his father. Only, t... read morehat's not the case at all. Another successful Hitchcock noir isn't as good as some of his best work ("Rear Window" to name one), but it is still a really skillfully done movie that goes by fast and has one of the more exciting conclusions to a Hitchcock film that I have seen. It does have a few holes story wise, but the performances from Granger and Walker alone make this worthy of a view, and it is not hard to fall in love with how Hitchcock shoots his films, as well as the music he selects to raise the hair on the back of your neck at the precise, appropriate time.
  • cosmo313
    October 2, 2012
    cosmo313
    I figured this would be good, given that it's Hitchcock, but I didn't expect it to be quite *this* stellar. This is an absolutely outstanding, tense, and creepy suspense thriller that easily ranks up there as one of Hitch's perfect films.

    The plot is rather typical stuff: a cha... read morence encounter between two men who have a problem with someone they'd like to murder come up with a plan where each man commits the other's murder, leaving them motiveless and the other person free and clear.

    Of course, nothing is that simple, and unhealthy attachments, miscommunications, and psychoses lead to a tense and thrilling cat and mouse game between the two gentlemen, who first met, as simply nothing more than strangers on a train.

    The premise is nothing extremely great, but the execution is where this film truly shines. Loaded up with lots of symbols, themes, and motifs involving doubles, duality, light and dark, this is a gorgeous film that can easily be studied and analyzed for quite some time. And, true to the themes, there are two version of the film: the original theatrical cut, and a slightly longer British pre-release version. The big difference is that the British version is a little more overt in showing the homoerotic undertones and just how psychotic one of the leads is. Either version is worth your time, as I really felt neither edged out the other.

    The performances, especially by Robert Walker, and tremendous. The cinematography and camera work are absolutely gorgeous, with a crisp black and white that evokes the finest of film noirs. There's some truly brilliant moments as well, whether it is the memorable climax or a murder scene shown from the reflection of the victim's glasses. That shot alone is one they probably show in film classes, and it truly is a marvelous moment.

    All in all of course you need to see this! It's Hitch, it's suspenseful, it's artistically stunning, and as far as thrill rides go, it's quite a rush.
  • clintervin
    March 7, 2012
    clintervin
    Alfred Hitchcock loved to plunge ordinary people into extraordinary situations culminating in feverish life or death climaxes, and Strangers On A Train is one of his finest efforts. This film is fantastically atmospheric with a palpable malevolence throughout. It also features un... read moreforgettable performances, particularly Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony, a character with a combination of indolence and menace as threatening as any villain ever. There are wonderful "trick" shots, like the much-discussed strangulation reflected in the glasses. The music, likewise for me, captures the film's aesthetic; its almost terrifying in places.

    Strangers' centerpiece is the strange duality between Guy Haines and Bruno. Its important to note that Guy is innocent of actual murder but not the intent to murder. Even girlfriend Anne (Ruth Roman) is suspicious of Guy after their phone conversation. Bruno assumes a lot, and Guy is guilty of omission more than commission. Bruno is the dark, "other side" of Guy, the tennis star who "does things." Ironically it is Bruno who actually does things. They carry on an implicit homosexual courtship throughout.

    Just a quick note on other actors/characters: Laura Elliot as Miriam and Hitchcock's daughter Patricia as Barbara Morton are better actors and more interesting than the more famous Ruth Roman. Roman looks the part of senator's daughter/girlfriend Anne Morton but is too wooden. She represents upper class decorum but is not sexy. The point is that she's got the morals and class that Guy's wife lacks, and this contrast works well in the film.

    Strangers is well crafted at every level, and the suspense screams to a stunning climax where Bruno almost succeeds in pinning the blame on Guy before his brutal death. The destruction of the carousel in which Bruno dies and the truth is revealed may be my favorite Hitchcockian climax. (Norman Bates' mother is pretty good too!)
  • UniversalDreamer
    February 25, 2012
    UniversalDreamer
    Everyone has someone they want dead. From this casual statement of a very secret everyman wish comes a suspenseful amusement park ride, a descent into madness wrapped in a candy box. Walker's Bruno is one of the most seductive of cinematic villains and certainly one of the best... read more reasons to see one of the best of Hitchcock films.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    December 26, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    In my opinion this is Hitchcock's best film. With a fantastic and interesting story that keeps you gripped and involved right until the end is a classic I could watch again and again. Everything about this film is near perfect except the ending which (as I have found with many Hi... read moretchcock films) left me unsatisfied as it was a bit too easy and convenient. Nevertheless a brilliant film and a must watch.
  • fb733768972
    December 9, 2011
    fb733768972
    "Strangers on a Train" is classic hollywood cinema at it's finest. As as simple as a story can be, two unlikely men (one on a mission to kill for happiness and satisfaction, the other to live life as it is) come into contact with each other. Bruno (the psychotic one) decides to c... read morereate a plan to kill Guy's (the subtle one) wife who has been very tiresome lately. Once Bruno goes through with it, all hell breaks loose as Guy tries to plead innocent by straying away from any sight of the authorities. This film has one of the most intense endings I have ever seen, with hints of humour, glamour, and horror. The 'Mise En Scene' is absolutely wonderful and Alfred Hitchcock definitely leaves his Auteur mark on his films, particularly the shadows and metaphors through the cinematography in this film. This does not only have a perfect story, a perfect cast, a perfect script, and a perfect resolution, but it is definitely one of the best films ever made! "Strangers on a Train" is a true cinematic masterpiece!
  • fb1664868775
    November 13, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Featuring a frightening performance by Robert Walker and great direction from the master auteur.
  • binky013
    October 2, 2011
    binky013
    For just plain real-world, everyday scary, this Hitchcock is hard to beat. There really are psychopaths like Bruno Anthony running around out there, so beware of running into one of them. Robert Walker plays well about as whacked out a nutcase as you could hope not to find. I ... read morelove what Rob Reiner did with the old "criss-cross" motif in Throw Momma from the Train.

    Just saw this again. Really too bad that Walker passed away so young. Now days, 32 years old seems like a just a kid to me..
  • spielberg00
    June 24, 2011
    spielberg00
    A creepy, tense film about murder. Typical Hitchcock--memorable, but mostly lesser.
  • stevenecarrier
    May 25, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I have always thought "Strangers on a Train" to be an extremely padded film. While the first 3rd of the picture is near air tight, the last 2/3s are almost a wash. The film manages to bring up interesting concepts of existentialism and violence but abandons them for a clear cut m... read moreoral in the films conclusion. It doesn't help that the film careens into the ridiculous with a silly climax and unnecessarily goofy side characters. "Strangers on a Train" feels like a compromise, and being able to watch the even more-so homosexually charged European cut solidifies this. There are many interesting ideas posed by the story and the first act (namely the violent, child-like state of Bruno), but it's pretty much tossed aside for an audience pleasing ending.

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Critic Reviews

August 30, 2009
TIME Magazine

Winds up with a scene in which a merry-go-round goes wild, spins like a pin wheel, and crashes in a gaudy blaze of explosions that no earthly carrousel could touch off. The movie itself is the same wa... Full Review

Dave Kehr
February 4, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Perhaps Strangers on a Train still hasn't yielded all its secrets. Full Review

February 9, 2006
Time Out

Hitchcock erects a web of guilt around Granger, who 'agreed' to his wife's murder, a murder that suits him very well, and structures his film around a series of set pieces, ending with a paroxysm of v... Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 15, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Hitchcock was above all the master of great visual set pieces, and there are several famous sequences in Strangers on a Train. Full Review

Variety Staff
February 13, 2001
Variety Staff, Variety

Given a good basis for a thriller in the Patricia Highsmith novel and a first-rate script, Hitchcock embroiders the plot into a gripping, palm-sweating piece of suspense. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
January 1, 2000
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

...his basic premise of fear fired by menace is so thin and so utterly unconvincing that the story just does not stand. Full Review

April 30, 2013
Total Film

With typical consummate verve, Hitch unfolds a story filled with twists, turns and dramatic contrasts. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
May 5, 2012
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Arguably one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, this intrguing film deals with all the autuer's issues, including the double motif, moral ambiguity, fine line between hero and villain. Full Review

Scott G. Mignola
January 2, 2011
Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media

Classic nail-biter is a must for thriller fans. Full Review

Walter Chaw
August 1, 2008
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

the work most necessary for a deeper appreciation of Hitchcock's late masterpieces. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Guy Haines: Oh skip it, Miriam. It's pretty late to start flirting with a discarded husband.
    • Guy Haines: Doesn't that bloodhound ever relax? He sticks so close he's beginning to grow on me, like a fungus.
    • Guy Haines: When an alibi is full of bourbon, sir, it can't stand up.
    • Bruno Anthony: My theory is that everyone is a potential murderer.
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Strangers on a Train Trivia

  • This is a plotline from which film - "Two men accidentally meet while traveling. Each one would like to murder a problem person in their life but is afraid of getting caught. So they decide to 'trade' murders. But will they actually do it"?  Answer »
  • Complete the title of this Alfred Hitchcock movie: 'Strangers on a...'   Answer »
  • In what movie do Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy play a couple of strangers who met on a train in Europe?  Answer »
  • Two men accidentally meet while traveling. Each would like to murder a problem person in their life but is afraid of getting caught so the decide to trade murders.  Answer »
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