Overview
A haunting journey through the mind where nightmares become reality, and every tale reveals a deeper terror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- witty
- foreboding
- classic horror night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an exceptionally skillful, witty, and influential anthology of macabre stories, especially praising its linking structure, atmosphere, and climactic circular design.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Walter Craig's visit to the farmhouse frames the guests' individually recounted tales.
Walter's recurring dream and the linking story create a circular progression toward the disturbing final image.
The ventriloquist's dummy tale centers on a performer tormented by the apparent independent will of his dummy.
The film uses black-and-white photography, shadowed interiors, and carefully shaped lighting to intensify its macabre episodes.
Films like Dead of Night, and why
Tales from the Crypt
shared anthology horror structure, supernatural unease, and escalating macabre storytelling
The Innocents
shared british gothic atmosphere, episodic supernatural narratives, and elegant postwar horror
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
shared psychological horror, unreliable perceptions, and dreamlike ambiguity
Trilogy of Terror
shared cursed-object horror, dark humor, and formally inventive anthology storytelling
Movie Details
- Directors
- Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Alberto Cavalcanti, Robert Hamer
- Release Date
- 1945-09-09
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (312)
Cast
- Mervyn Johns
- Roland Culver
- Mary Merrall
- Googie Withers
- Frederick Valk
- Anthony Baird
- Sally Ann Howes
- Robert Wyndham
- Judy Kelly
- Miles Malleson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, YouTube TV, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, IndieFlix, BFI Player Amazon Channel, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Chilling
- 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 Dead of Night about?
- At a country farmhouse, a recurring nightmare frames a succession of eerie tales whose supernatural menace gradually closes in on the storyteller.
- What is Dead of Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dead of Night as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dead of Night violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dead of Night as mild.
- What did critics think of Dead of Night?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an exceptionally skillful, witty, and influential anthology of macabre stories, especially praising its linking structure, atmosphere, and climactic circular design.
- Which films are like Dead of Night?
- Films with a similar feel include Tales from the Crypt, The Innocents, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Trilogy of Terror.
- How long is Dead of Night?
- Dead of Night runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dead of Night?
- In United States, Dead of Night streams on Philo, YouTube TV, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, IndieFlix, BFI Player Amazon Channel, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Chilling.
