Overview
A thrilling race against time unfolds as a father fights to save his kidnapped daughter and prevent a political assassination.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- urgent
- melodramatic
- classic movie night
- hitchcock retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Hitchcock's energetic, imaginative direction, brisk storytelling, suspense construction, and strong performances in this influential British thriller.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bob and Jill Lawrence become involved with foreign agents, concealed information, and a planned assassination after their daughter is kidnapped.
The climax centers on an assassination scheduled during a concert at the Albert Hall, using performance timing to structure tension.
Bob traces Betty's kidnappers to London, while Jill must personally act to prevent the assassination and protect her family.
The concert setting aligns musical progression, audience attention, and the planned assassination into a single suspense sequence.
Films like The Man Who Knew Too Much, and why
The 39 Steps
shared early suspense craftsmanship, espionage intrigue, kidnapping stakes, and escalating international danger
The Lady Vanishes
shared british spy thriller framework, ordinary protagonists caught in conspiracies, and brisk suspense
Shadow of a Doubt
shared psychological suspense, criminal conspiracies, and hitchcockian manipulation of audience tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Release Date
- 1934-12-09
- Runtime
- 76 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (469)
Cast
- Leslie Banks
- Edna Best
- Peter Lorre
- Frank Vosper
- Hugh Wakefield
- Nova Pilbeam
- Pierre Fresnay
- Cicely Oates
- D.A. Clarke-Smith
- George Curzon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, TCM, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Man Who Knew Too Much about?
- A holidaying British couple races from a Swiss murder clue to a London concert where their kidnapped daughter and a foreign dignitary's life hang in the balance.
- What is The Man Who Knew Too Much like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Man Who Knew Too Much as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Man Who Knew Too Much violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Man Who Knew Too Much as mild.
- What did critics think of The Man Who Knew Too Much?
- Critics broadly praised Hitchcock's energetic, imaginative direction, brisk storytelling, suspense construction, and strong performances in this influential British thriller.
- Which films are like The Man Who Knew Too Much?
- Films with a similar feel include The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, and Shadow of a Doubt.
- How long is The Man Who Knew Too Much?
- The Man Who Knew Too Much runs 76 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Man Who Knew Too Much?
- In United States, The Man Who Knew Too Much streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, TCM, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
