Overview
A psychiatrist's world unravels as she becomes entangled in a web of mystery and romance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- romantic
- eerie
- classic cinema night
- hitchcock marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Hitchcock's suspenseful direction, visual invention, and the Bergman-Peck performances while noting that the psychoanalytic material is less convincing than its presentation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dr. Constance Petersen uses psychiatric expertise to interpret John Ballantine's amnesia and unusual aversions.
The black-and-white photography and stylized suspense imagery give the asylum and investigations a dreamlike, ominous atmosphere.
Petersen's attraction to the newly appointed doctor develops alongside doubts about his identity and behavior.
The film features a prominent dream sequence designed with Salvador Dalí-inspired surrealist imagery.
Films like Spellbound, and why
Rebecca
psychological mystery, romantic suspense, and a protagonist investigating altered identity amid ominous clues
Notorious
classic Hitchcock suspense, romance under threat, and uncertainty surrounding a charismatic male figure
The Lady Vanishes
black-and-white psychological thriller centered on trauma, memory, and an investigator pursuing hidden truth
Laura
romantic intrigue, identity concealment, and stylized suspense within a classic Hollywood mystery
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Release Date
- 1945-10-31
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1012)
Cast
- Ingrid Bergman
- Gregory Peck
- Michael Chekhov
- Leo G. Carroll
- Rhonda Fleming
- John Emery
- Norman Lloyd
- Bill Goodwin
- Steven Geray
- Donald Curtis
Common questions
- What is Spellbound about?
- At a psychiatric asylum, a doctor risks her career and heart to decode a new colleague’s fractured identity before suspicion turns fatal.
- What is Spellbound like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Spellbound as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Spellbound violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Spellbound as mild.
- What did critics think of Spellbound?
- Critics broadly praise Hitchcock's suspenseful direction, visual invention, and the Bergman-Peck performances while noting that the psychoanalytic material is less convincing than its presentation.
- Which films are like Spellbound?
- Films with a similar feel include Rebecca, Notorious, The Lady Vanishes, and Laura.
- How long is Spellbound?
- Spellbound runs 111 minutes.
