Hitchcock's handling of the suspense is deadly effective and a quality cast breathe life into some delicious dialogue.
Comment
02/04/08
Strangers on a Train (1951)
97
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:38
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, quickly became one of Alfred Hitchcock's most successful thrillers and remains one of his most popular films. En route from Washington,... [More]
Starring: Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Reviews for Strangers on a Train
Top CriticHitchcock erects a web of guilt around Granger, who 'agreed' to his wife's murder, a murder that suits him very well, and structures his film around a series of set pieces, ending with a paroxysm of violence on a circus carousel.
02/09/06
Top CriticHitchcock's favourite device of an ordinary man caught in an ever-tightening web of fear plunges Guy into one of the director's most fiendishly effective movies.
06/27/01
Top CriticThe power of the story - adapted from the novel by Patricia Highsmith - lies in its simplicity, and Hitchcock’s piles on the sinister layers as only he can.
01/01/00
Top CriticWinds up with a scene in which a merry-go-round goes wild, spins like a pin wheel, and crashes in a gaudy blaze of explosions that no earthly carrousel could touch off. The movie itself is the same way: implausible but intriguing and great fun to ride.
08/30/09
Top Criticthe work most necessary for a deeper appreciation of Hitchcock's late masterpieces.
08/01/08
Even more marvelous after a second viewing
02/17/08
Perhaps Strangers on a Train still hasn't yielded all its secrets.
02/04/08
The prototypical Hitchcock thrill ride.
10/14/05
No review available.
10/07/05
No review available.
08/12/05
No review available.
06/09/05
No review available.
04/02/05
Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" is about weakness crisscrossing with evil, with evil pushing hard for the upper hand. Nobody comes away unscathed.
11/16/04
worthy vehicle that displays Hitchcock's narrative ability and explores some of his favorite themes
10/27/04
Most of the film is a journey through pure Hitchcockian irony and suspense, and well worth the trip.
09/22/04
Patricia Highsmith's malicious writing seems perfectly suited to Alfred Hitchcock.
09/20/04
Walker's creepy performance ranks among the best found in any Hitchcock film.
09/13/04
To ignore the subtext during the runaway carousel climax is to be absolutely blind.
09/06/04
Two men, a problem, and a crime is an old theme, but the list of works that exploit it perfectly is a short one. Strangers on a Train belongs on it.
07/26/04
Latest News for Strangers on a Train
June 21, 2007:
Frank Miller and Clive Owen to Do Some Old-School Film Noir
Now here's a project that sounds pretty damn cool: Frank Miller directing Clive Owen in an adaptation of a Raymond Chandler story -- and it'll probably be the first in a series! More...
April 12, 2005:
Two New "Strangers" to Meet On DreamWorks' "Train"
Variety lets us know that DreamWorks is currently mounting a new interpretation of Patricia Highsmith's novel "Strangers on a Train." Originally turned into a classic... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds