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Poster for The Desperate Hours

The Desperate Hours

1955 · 112 min

A taut, claustrophobic siege that tightens like a vice, pitting quiet suburban decency against cold menace.

Tagline
A reign of violence sweeps the screen.
Overview
Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • survival
  • family
  • isolation
  • power
  • crime
Places
  • suburbs
  • home
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror4
Humour1
Realism8
Romance1
Tension9
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, thriller
Directed by
William Wyler
Written by
Joseph Hayes
Starring
Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March, Arthur Kennedy, Martha Scott, Dewey Martin, Gig Young, Mary Murphy, Richard Eyer
Music
Gail Kubik, Daniele Amfitheatrof
Cinematography
Lee Garmes
Runtime
112 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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