Overview
A daring hunter's assassination attempt leads to a deadly game of cat and mouse across Europe.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- paranoid
- propulsive
- brooding
- classic movie night
- film noir evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an effective, atmospheric political chase thriller with psychological overtones, while noting that it does not fully realize all of its possibilities.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Thorndike escapes Gestapo custody and is repeatedly hunted through a ship, London, the Underground, and the countryside.
The Gestapo's coercion and Thorndike's eventual decision to oppose Hitler frame the narrative as direct anti-Nazi propaganda.
Thorndike's identity as a big-game hunter and his high-powered rifle organize both the opening assassination attempt and the closing mission.
Jerry Stokes shelters Thorndike, joins his flight, and becomes central to the personal stakes of his conflict with Quive-Smith.
Films like Man Hunt, and why
The 39 Steps
shared political thriller tension, anti-fascist themes, and a hunted protagonist navigating wartime Europe
Hangmen Also Die!
shared Fritz Lang suspense style, crime-driven pursuit, and morally charged resistance to authoritarian power
To Be or Not to Be
shared wartime espionage atmosphere, fugitive suspense, and romantic danger under Nazi pressure
Sabotage
shared on-the-run thriller structure, British setting, and escalating pursuit by political enemies
Movie Details
- Director
- Fritz Lang
- Release Date
- 1941-06-13
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (133)
Cast
- Walter Pidgeon
- Joan Bennett
- George Sanders
- John Carradine
- Roddy McDowall
- Ludwig Stössel
- Heather Thatcher
- Frederick Worlock
- Roger Imhof
- Holmes Herbert
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Man Hunt about?
- A big-game hunter pursued by the Gestapo turns a coerced assassination scandal into a personal mission against fascism.
- What is Man Hunt like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Man Hunt as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Man Hunt violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Man Hunt as moderate.
- What did critics think of Man Hunt?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an effective, atmospheric political chase thriller with psychological overtones, while noting that it does not fully realize all of its possibilities.
- Which films are like Man Hunt?
- Films with a similar feel include The 39 Steps, Hangmen Also Die!, To Be or Not to Be, and Sabotage.
- How long is Man Hunt?
- Man Hunt runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Man Hunt?
- In United States, Man Hunt is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
