Users

Now Playing

FA Rankings

All Rankings
N
Top 1000 FA

Sections

TV Series

TOPs

Awards | Festivals

Information

Click here to copy URL

North by Northwest

8.2

69,346

Ratings

Add to lists

where to watch

flatrate

rent

buy

Pro reviews

1 Related Movies

Related Documentary:

Destination Hitchcock: The Making of 'North by Northwest'

Original title: North by Northwest
Year: 1959
Running time: 136 min.
Country: United States
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Ernest Lehman
Music: Bernard Herrmann
Cinematography: Robert Burks
Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau, Leo G. Carroll, Philip Ober, Josephine Hutchinson, Edward Platt, Adam Williams, Jessie Royce Landis, Alfred Hitchcock, Edward Binns
Producer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Genre: Mystery | Spy Film. Cult Movie
Synopsis: Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Suddenly, the hapless businessman is targeted as an American intelligence agent and set up as a killer. All of Thornhills attempts to straighten things out only make matters worse--and soon the desperate man is on the run from murderous foreign operatives, the CIA and the police.

Rankings Position

#10 Best Mystery Films
#35 Best US Movies of all time
#52 Best Movies in the history of film

Awards: 1959: 3 Nominations for Oscar: Best Screenplay, Editing, Art Direction

1959: San Sebastian Film Festival: Best Director (ex-aequo)

1959: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nominated for Best Director

1959: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Comedy Screenplay

1959: National Board of Review: Top 10 Best films

1959: David di Donatello Awards: Best Foreign Actor (Cary Grant)

Critics' reviews

"One of the most entertaining movies ever made"

Dave Kehr: Chicago Reader
"It is all done in brisk, genuinely witty and sophisticated style."

A.H. Weiler: The New York Times
"At times it seems Hitchcock is kidding his own penchant for the bizarre, but this sardonic attitude is so deftly handled it only enhances the thrills."

Variety
"The picture is hugely pleased with itself, but it’s too funny and expertly calibrated to mind in the least (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"

Bill Weber: Slant
"'North by Northwest' is a magnificent thriller, but it's also very funny (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Mark Monahan: Telegraph
"I can't imagine anyone now succeeding in blending thrills, spills, caresses and laughs the way he did in this sublime classic (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Peter Bradshaw: The Guardian
"Each viewing reveals something new to enhance the pleasure of watching the Master of Suspense at his most mischievous and assured (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

David Parkinson: Empire
"A thriller so improbable that it becomes quite brilliant in evading even the most fantastic of audience guesses (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Almar Haflidason: BBC

Movie Soulmates' ratings: Register so you can access movie recommendations tailored to your movie taste.
Friends' ratings: Register so you can check out ratings by your friends, family members, and like-minded members of the FA community.

Ranking Lists Position

10 My Favorite Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Movies (425)
21 Movies with the Best Opening Credits (25)
42 My 10 favorite Film Directors and my favorite movie of each one of them (113)
70 Movies with Skillful Editing (19)
79 Best Directed Movies (29)

Is the synopsis/plot summary missing? Do you want to report a spoiler, error or omission? Please send us a message.
If you are not a registered user please send us an email to info@filmaffinity.com

All copyrighted material (movie posters, DVD covers, stills, trailers) and trademarks belong to their respective producers and/or distributors.

For US ratings information please visit: www.mpaa.org www.filmratings.com www.parentalguide.org

The Iceman

2012

Ariel Vromen

6.4
(5,089)
The East

2013

Zal Batmanglij

6.1
(5,768)
Bhowani Junction

1956

George Cukor

6.2
(707)
Young & Beautiful

2013

François Ozon

6.4
(10,274)