Cape Fear (1991)

Who are you supposed to root for in Cape Fear? Martin Scorsese doesn’t seem to care, and that’s both the thrill and the problem. Nick Nolte’s Sam is a lawyer with a guilty conscience and a household full of cracks, so the hero is hard to love. Robert De Niro’s Max Cady is the opposite, a tattooed menace with a drawl, a Bible and a grin that could wilt a magnolia. Early on he sits right in front of the family at the movies, puffing a fat cigar and laughing so loudly the whole row turns around, and it’s scarier than most horror films. Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis make mother and daughter feel real. Then the last act on the river goes big and loud, and Cady keeps getting back up like a cartoon villain who’s read the script. It made $182.3 million worldwide on a reported $35M. A 7.0 because De Niro is unforgettable and the finale tips into camp. $49.16 says the next guy who laughs too loud in a theater gets your full, suspicious attention.

What works: De Niro is truly frightening, and Scorsese stages the early stalking scenes with real menace and style.

What doesn’t: The houseboat finale goes so big that Cady becomes almost unstoppable, and the thriller tips into camp.

Who it’s for: Thriller fans who like a villain who’s smarter than the hero and a family that’s cracking before he even shows up.