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Strangers on a Train

Play trailer Poster for Strangers on a Train PG,  1951,  1h 41m,  Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 98% 61 Reviews Tomatometer 92% 25,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller, tennis star Guy Haines is enraged by his trampy wife's refusal to finalize their divorce so he can wed senator's daughter Anne. He strikes up a conversation with a stranger, Bruno Anthony, and unwittingly sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Psychopathic Bruno kills Guy's wife, then urges Guy to reciprocate by killing Bruno's father. Meanwhile, Guy is murder suspect number one.
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Critics Consensus

A provocative premise and inventive set design lights the way for Hitchcock diabolically entertaining masterpiece.

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Critics Reviews

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Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) Nov 2, 2018
The upshot is a perfect Alfred Hitchcock thriller...with a ingenious plot taken from a Patricia Highsmith novel and a memorably seductive villain. Go to Full Review
THR Staff The Hollywood Reporter Jun 30, 2017
Strangers on a Train is an admirable demonstration of Alfred Hitchcock's virtuosity in the area of suspense dramas. Go to Full Review
TIME Magazine Aug 30, 2009
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 way: implausible but intriguing and great fun to ride. Go to Full Review
Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Sep 14, 2026
3.5/5
One of Alfred Hitchcock's most remembered thrillers, it boasts a killer premise about two men "crisscrossing" murders but devolves into standard MacGuffin-chasing and gay panic. Go to Full Review
Cameron Meier MeierMovies.com Apr 6, 2026
4.5/5
"Strangers," shot in beautiful black and white, is a treat for the eyes and brain, particularly because it was apparently the last Hitchcock film shot on nitrate. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 4, 2025
3.5/4
Robert Walker's creepy performance ranks among the best found in any Hitchcock film. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Theodore S Mar 28, 2019 Another fine example of Hitchcock's masterful combination of suspense and breathtaking action.
Rey W Mar 1, 2019 My favorite film with a merry-go-round in it.
Kylo P Feb 7, 2019 This is an odd film in many ways when compared to the book. Guy, the up and coming famous architect, would have been a great role for Robert Walker, the more mature, older married man. But no, Hitchcock oddly cast Farley Granger (true, movie star face) as Guy, the married architect. Robert Walker is cast as the unmarried, unhinged (and gay alcoholic in the book) murderer, Bruno. Now, it's true both the book and the movie are fiction. But after reading Patricia Highsmith's brilliant book (about an alcoholic gay man, Bruno) killing Guy's wife and then laying trap after trap in which Guy (a straight architect) is pulled deeper and deeper into Bruno's web is a sensational psychological thriller. Still, the movie is pretty goodl. See more
Theodore W Jan 29, 2019 I love this classic Hitchcock movie.
Anakin W Jan 20, 2019 A provocative premise and inventive set design lights the way for Hitchcock diabolically entertaining masterpiece.
Han L 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 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. See more
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Strangers on a Train

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller, tennis star Guy Haines is enraged by his trampy wife's refusal to finalize their divorce so he can wed senator's daughter Anne. He strikes up a conversation with a stranger, Bruno Anthony, and unwittingly sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Psychopathic Bruno kills Guy's wife, then urges Guy to reciprocate by killing Bruno's father. Meanwhile, Guy is murder suspect number one.
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Producer
Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter
Whitfield Cook, Patricia Highsmith, Czenzi Ormonde
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Bros.
Rating
PG
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 1951, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2008
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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