Cape Fear
Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.
Critics Sentiment
Cady conducts mock trial during the thunderstorm on the boat
Cady rapes courthouse clerk Lori Davis who refuses to report
The film jumps dramatically from the uncomfortable Lori Davis subplot to the acclaimed Danielle seduction scene, gaining 2.4 points as reviewers moved from mixed reactions to widespread praise for De Niro and Lewis's performances.
Cape Fear builds steadily from a solid but conventional opening to increasingly intense psychological thriller territory, peaking with the universally praised houseboat climax. While some critics found De Niro's performance over-the-top and questioned certain plot choices, most appreciated Scorsese's masterful direction and the film's escalating sense of claustrophobia. The final act on the boat represents the film at its most acclaimed, with reviewers consistently highlighting the storm sequence as a tour de force of filmmaking.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 43
Robert De Niro
Max Cady
Nick Nolte
Sam Bowden
Jessica Lange
Leigh Bowden
Juliette Lewis
Danielle Bowden
Joe Don Baker
Claude Kersek
Robert Mitchum
Lieutenant Elgart
Gregory Peck
Lee Heller
Martin Balsam
Judge
Illeana Douglas
Lori Davis
Fred Thompson
Tom Broadbent
Zully Montero
Graciella
Craig Henne
Prisoner
Forest Burton
Prisoner
Edgar Allan Poe IV
Prisoner
Rod Ball
Prisoner
W. Paul Bodie
Prisoner
Joel Kolker
Corrections Officer
Antoni Corone
Corrections Officer
Tamara Jones
Ice Cream Cashier
Roger Pretto
Racquetball Colleague
Crew
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