The incoherence of the script is a liberation, as the characters wander around like lightly-stunned mannequins in some dream ballet.

| Apr 22, 2025

One of De Palma’s baroque exercises in Hitchcockian suspense...

| Aug 23, 2024

Sensual and dizzying, Raising Cain probably could only have been brought off by Brian DePalma. This is fiery, disreputable commercial filmmaking that satirizes a lot of serious issues, and it does so gleefully.

| May 9, 2023

No matter the version, "Raising Cain" represents an often overlooked rebound for Brian De Palma in the wake of his career nadir. John Lithgow makes the most of his performer's playground, and the 2012 edit emphasizes both narrative momentum and themes.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 31, 2022

...feels like the final scene of Psycho, expanded to feature length, with cod-psychology constantly used to provide context for crazy, disturbing visuals...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 2, 2021

As far as De Palma's genre thrillers go, Raising Cain has enough to hold the audience, if mostly for those already enamored with his work.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 30, 2020

De Palma always winds up letting his worst instincts get the better of him.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Oct 8, 2018

It's a diabolical idea taken to deliriously absurd extremes by De Palma.

| Oct 8, 2018

While film fans might enjoy DePalma's stylistic homages to Hitchcock, and John Lithgow's total commitment to concept and character, there is little else to recommend about Raising Cain.

| Oct 8, 2018

De Palma blurs the line between fantasy and reality with gleeful affrontery, creating a dazzling tapestry of visual cheats and narrative trickery which propels his scarcely credible characters and ludicrous plot through to its nervy conclusion.

| Oct 8, 2018

"Raising Cain" is one for the books-a thrilling, funny, exciting and creepy exercise in suspense and humor from a master filmmaker firing on all cylinders.

| Oct 8, 2018

Movies don't get much more De Palma than 'Raising Cain,' and in its new and improved form, it can finally get the praise it deserves.

| Aug 6, 2017

An off-center carbon copy of De Palma's superb 1980 hit Dressed to Kill, coming off as hokey and jokey rather than clever and suspenseful.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 2, 2016

works superbly in its isolated setpieces, even as the film as a whole doesn't quite hang together

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 12, 2016

From first scene to the unforgettable final sting, "Raising Cain" is hypnotic in its richly devised spell, starkly realistic fears invaded by haunting spurts of dream logic.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Aug 25, 2016

...one of the most satisfying entries within De Palma's decidedly erratic body of work.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 10, 2016

In a world where Redacted exists, Raising Cain isn't De Palma's least effective picture, but it's damn near close, purposely unreasonable and shockingly leaden all the way.

| Original Score: C- | Aug 6, 2012

| Original Score: B- | Sep 7, 2011

That's the stuff of scary melodrama, especially with children in jeopardy. Unfortunately, DePalma fails to deliver real fright or titillation to his target audience, instead opting for satire.

| Mar 26, 2009

Rather than clarifying, De Palma's technique with Raising Cain effectively obliterates the audience's bearings.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 19, 2006