Yet the grubby story is elevated by a superior cast in both the original and this grimly bloodthirsty remake.

| Aug 14, 2023

(De Niro) had played a tough guy before, but never quite like this: a very sinister, very jagged, very dangerous character… put that together with Martin Scorsese at possibly the peak of his powers, and it’s a delightful if slightly scary film.

| May 6, 2022

Martin Scorsese wasn't supposed to remake the 1962 thriller, but when he did, he brought along his longtime muse and infused the story with an overwhelming amount of trademark chaos...

| Nov 20, 2021

The wrath of De Niro, especially when pitched to the level of a jangle-brained Jehovah, is a mighty thing, but, in this case, its inherent cartoonery capsizes this film's small-story frame.

| Nov 19, 2019

It gives you a pumped-up, thrill-happy ride (assuming you have a stomach for violent pulp) but it doesn't linger in the mind as Scorsese's richest movies do. It's a swell B movie dressed in haute cinematic couture.

| Feb 7, 2018

Proves that when a maverick virtuoso like Scorsese sets his mind to it, making ''mainstream'' movies is one more thing he can do better than just about anyone else.

| Original Score: A | Sep 7, 2011

It's hard to understand why Martin Scorsese wanted to remake a nasty, formulaic 1962 thriller whose only "classic" credentials are a terrifying performance by Robert Mitchum and a Bernard Herrmann score.

| May 24, 2011

Smart and stylish.

| Aug 7, 2008

Overblown horror-schlocker.

| Jun 24, 2006

Stay away if you're squeamish but, if you do, you'll miss an essential work by one of our masters, as well as two of the year's most accomplished performances, those of Mr. De Niro and Ms. Lewis.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | May 20, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 24, 2002

Scorcese drew seminal and genuinely creepy performances from his stars in this thriller remake.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 29, 2002

Though Scorsese doesn't always transcend the pulp in Cape Fear, watching him try allows us to share the exhilaration he experiences behind the camera.

Full Review | May 12, 2001

It's a helluva movie.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jan 1, 2000

This movie aims for your gut. And Scorsese is a precision marksman.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 1, 2000

Impressive moviemaking, showing Scorsese as a master of a traditional Hollywood genre who is able to mold it to his own themes and obsessions.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 1, 2000

It's a brutal, demonic film with a grip like a vise; it grabs you early, its fingers around your throat, and never lets go.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 1, 2000