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Family Plot
1976 120 min United States of America PG 16+
★7.3
Comedy, Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
🎭 Based on
«The Rainbird Pattern»
byVictor Canning
Trailers
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EN
EN
Description
Spiritualist Blanche Tyler and her cab-driving boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.
Budget:
$4.5M
Worldwide:
$13.2M
Starring
Karen Black
Actor
Bruce Dern
Actor
Barbara Harris
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 1977
— Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Key opinion
Family Plot is widely regarded as a stylish and professionally crafted final act that serves as a departure from Alfred Hitchcock's darker masterpieces. While the film is praised for its intricate, genre-blending narrative and lighthearted charm, opinions remain split on whether this transition toward humor and away from traditional suspense represents a successful evolution or a diminished standard.
| Screenplay | The narrative skillfully weaves two parallel, seemingly unrelated storylines into a cohesive and engaging final convergence. | |
| Direction | The film acts as an effective, if bittersweet, professional swan song that showcases the director's enduring technical command. | |
| Acting | The performances depart from the traditional "Hitchcock hero" archetype, offering ironic and flawed characters that reflect the shifting aesthetic of the 1970s. | |
| Theme | The film's tone is polarizing; supporters celebrate the blend of detective tropes and witty humor, while others find the lack of signature suspense and the reliance on comedy to be a disappointment compared to the director's classic work. | |
| Originality | The departure from the director's trademark high-tension style and shocking set-pieces leaves some viewers feeling that the film lacks the intensity and stature of his greatest masterpieces. |