This 1955 thriller was described by its director Charles Laughton as "a nightmarish sort of Mother Goose tale." Name it.

Too avant-garde for 1950s audiences, Night of the Hunter was a box office bomb upon its initial release that critics derided as "weird" and with "too many offbeat touches." But these same experimental elements — mostly inspired by the unusual camera angles, surrealistic sets, and dramatic lighting of German Expressionism — did appeal to a small art-house following that kept the film from being entirely forgotten through the subsequent decades. In the 1970s, modern critics and movie buffs began to reassess the film, recognizing its innovative and artistic aspects. Today, it's considered a cinematic masterpiece and many filmmakers cite its influence. Unfortunately, this appreciation came too late for Charles Laughton. Devastated by the film's hostile response upon first release, he vowed to never direct again — and never did.

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