1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Night Must Fall
"The lusty brawling star of "Tom Jones" goes psycho"
1964 1h 32m EN
👍
6.5
SOLID
⭐
6.5
IMDB
★6.5TMDB · 28★6.5IMDB · 933
ThrillerHorror
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A psychotic killer gets in the good graces of his aging invalid employer, and worms his way into the affection of her beautiful daughter, with unpleasant results for all.
“The lusty brawling star of "Tom Jones" goes psycho”
Where to watch · US
Cast
Albert Finney
Danny
Mona Washbourne
Mrs. Bramson
Susan Hampshire
Olivia Greyne
Sheila Hancock
Dora Parkoe
Michael Medwin
Derek
Joe Gladwin
Dodge
Martin Wyldeck
Inspector Willett
John Gill
Foster
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Karel Reisz
- Writers
- Clive Exton
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United Kingdom
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
CRAFT
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Karel Reisz, shot by Freddie Francis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Ron Grainer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Philip Barnikel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Albert Finney and Mona Washbourne and Susan Hampshire carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "The lusty brawling star of "Tom Jones" goes psycho".
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0058401 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Karel Reisz directs. Freddie Francis behind the camera. Ron Grainer scores. Philip Barnikel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 162 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 3Directed by Karel Reisz, shot by Freddie Francis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Ron Grainer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Philip Barnikel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Albert Finney and Mona Washbourne and Susan Hampshire carry the top of the cast.
- 7Marketing tagline: "The lusty brawling star of "Tom Jones" goes psycho".
- 8IMDB entry: tt0058401 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 9Only 28 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Freddie Francis
- Original score
- Ron Grainer
- Editing
- Philip Barnikel
- Runtime
- 92 min · 1h 32m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
- IMDB rating
- 6.5/10 · 933 votes
Awards
1 nomination
Also by
Karel Reisz
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Production companies
Who made it
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios
GB
- LA
Lawrence P. Bachmann Productions
Key crew
- Theatre PlayEmlyn Williams
- ProducerKarel Reisz
- Assistant DirectorDavid Tomblin
- EditorPhilip Barnikel
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- stalker
- tension
- serial killer
- killer
- home intrusion
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1964-03-18NR
Also known as
International titles
- Der Griff aus dem DunkelDE
- La force des ténèbresFR
