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Cape Fear
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Cape Fear
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- 1991
- Martin Scorsese
- 122 mins
- 18
Summary
Thriller starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange. After 14 years behind bars, brutal rapist Max Cady is free to exact revenge on the man who could have kept him out of jail, lawyer Sam Bowden. Too clever to attack his victim directly, the devious ex-convict begins a reign of terror that threatens Bowden's wife and teenage daughter. Determined to crush the family, Cady's sadistic campaign causes underlying tensions to explode with devastating results.
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IMDB
Review
A star rating of 4 out of 5.
John Ferguson
This remake of the Robert Mitchum classic was an unashamed bid for box-office success by director Martin Scorsese. The film buffs denounced it, but even average Scorsese is light years ahead of most Hollywood fodder. Robert De Niro takes the Mitchum role, playing a vicious ex-convict who torments his former attorney Nick Nolte, believing he betrayed him during his trial for a brutal sex crime. De Niro is way over the top as the Bible-babbling psychopath, but where Scorsese scores is in his portrayal of the lawyer's family; in the original, they were the embodiment of apple-pie American values, but here they are falling apart at the seams. And, while the sickening violence will upset some, far more disturbing is the relationship between De Niro and Nolte's adolescent daughter, played by Juliette Lewis. Scorsese brings a dazzling array of cinematic techniques to the party and only loses his way in a crowd-pleasing but ludicrous finale. The original stars - Gregory Peck, Martin Balsam and Mitchum himself - pop up in cameo roles, and there is also strong support from Joe Don Baker.
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7.3/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameMax CadyRobert De NiroSam BowdenNick NolteLeigh BowdenJessica LangeDanielle BowdenJuliette LewisClaude KersekJoe Don BakerLieutenant ElgartRobert MitchumLee HellerGregory PeckJudgeMartin BalsamLori DavisIlleana DouglasTom BroadbentFred Dalton ThompsonGraciellaZully Montero
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Crew
rolenameDirectorMartin Scorsese
Details
Released on
1992-03-06
Languages
English
Guidance
Violence, swearing.
Available on
video, DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
News & features about Cape Fear
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Is Cape Fear based on a true story?
As Javier Bardem brings Max Cady back to screens, we unpack whether Cape Fear has roots in real life.
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Cape Fear release schedule: When are new episodes out on Apple TV?
The classic thriller is reborn for television.
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Cape Fear showrunner explains key change surrounding the Bowden family for new version
Nick Antosca says the new Cape Fear explores "new ways to terrorise an American family in 2026".
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Cape Fear legend Juliette Lewis: "I’m a Final Girl, meaning the one who survives"
Actor Juliette Lewis tells Radio Times she's gone full-circle as she stars in the TV adaptation of Cape Fear – the film that made her famous
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Cape Fear remake drops terrifying trailer as Javier Bardem takes on killer role
The trailer takes unsettling to a whole new level.
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Hollywood A-listers star in chilling first-look trailer for all-new version of Cape Fear
Amy Adams, Javier Bardem and Patrick Wilson star in the new Apple TV series.
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Cape Fear episode 3 sees surprise appearance from major star with a link to the 1991 film
Episode 3 of Apple TV's Cape Fear introduces a mysterious new threat – played by a very familiar face.
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Cape Fear 2026 star reveals advice she received from beloved star of 1991 version
Lily Collias says Juliette Lewis was a "guiding light" as she stepped into the Cape Fear legacy.
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Cape Fear review: Javier Bardem brings a controlled intensity to his very modern-day villain ★★★★☆
Bardem walks a tightrope of charismatic cunning as Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams co-star in Apple TV's 10-part thriller.
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Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson reveal major Cape Fear changes – and why it 'isn't just stretched out' for TV
The new Cape Fear makes some notable tweaks, as its stars say this series adaptation isn't simply padding out the films.
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Javier Bardem unpacks physical transformation into Cape Fear's Max Cady – and why he didn't want to mimic Robert De Niro
Bardem wanted his Max Cady to be "frightening and complex in a new way".
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Cape Fear TV series remake gets release date confirmed with first look
Amy Adams, Javier Bardem and Patrick Wilson lead the cast.
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Apple TV+ to remake Cape Fear into limited series with Monsters star as twisted killer
Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are set to produce the new TV series.
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