Prime Video Just Added This Classic Thriller — and You Need to Watch It Now

Gregory Peck stars as Sam Bowden, a mild-mannered Southern lawyer whose family becomes the target of Cady’s revenge after Sam testifies against him in court. The film smartly raises moral questions about justice, obligation and guilt. The character starts out similar to Atticus Finch, who Peck famously portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird later that same year, but he is pushed to the edge of his own morality by the constant threat of Cady.

Sam is a man trying to uphold the law in a situation where the law doesn’t seem to be working. It’s a compelling portrait of a man caught between morality and survival, and a surprisingly complex critique of the justice system.

The Suspense Is Hitchcock-Level Brilliant

Though not directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Cape Fear has all the trademarks of a Hitchcock thriller: a sense of claustrophobia, dramatic lighting, a haunting musical score and extended sequences of unbearable suspense. It functions as evidence of Hitchcock’s influence on filmmaking and the evolution of the thriller genre. Director J. Lee Thompson uses silence and shadows to keep viewers constantly on edge, and the score by Bernard Herrmann (a frequent Hitchcock collaborator) is unforgettable.

The 1962 version of Cape Fear feels like it could easily sit on a shelf next to Psycho or Rear Window. It’s classic suspense done right, and the movie’s influence is keenly felt in future psychological thrillers — not just the Scorsese remake, but in movies as diverse as Se7en and even The Dark Knight.

Watch Cape Fear on Amazon Prime Video.