‘Cape Fear’ Review: Tense Thriller a Perfect Changeup for Two Months of Terror

“Cape Fear” was a movie I loved as kid. I taped it off television for some reason and watched it often as I graced into adolescence.

I remembered only the main plot points; a deranged psychopath is terrorizing a family. The specifics went over my childhood brain which was preoccupied with how cool is Robert De Niro was, and how cute is Juliette Lewis.

A critical review was in order. And make no mistakes. Despite its thriller tag, “Cape Fear” serves as an excellent change of pace film to be enjoyed during Two Months of Terror.

Behind the Scenes

Released in 1991, “Cape Fear” is a remake of a 1962 film starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. Mitchum, Peck, and my boy Martin Balsam all make cameos here, a nice tribute to the original movie.

The source material comes from a 1957 novel called “The Executioners” by John D. MacDonald. The screenplay for the remake was written by Wesley Strick. The legend Martin Scorsese would direct. The movie received two Academy Award nominations, both for the acting of De Niro and Lewis.

Several changes were included. Some of which modernized the story in a nice way. Others are a bit ham-fisted and overly Hollywood. I’ll keep it spoiler free.

Cape Fear – real place, creepy name

Max Cady (Robert De Niro) has been released from prison after 14 years. Cady went down for the brutal sexual assault of a teenage girl; a crime he bragged about committing. In prison, the once illiterate and ignorant Cady has bettered himself, learning how to read and write, and using his endless time behind cement walls to study the law.

Cady discovers that Samuel Bowden (Nick Nolte), his court appointed defense attorney deliberately withheld a piece of evidence that could have set him free.

Max Cady shows what a psychopath he is as he begins a campaign of stalking and harassing Bowden and his family, wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and teenage daughter Dani (Juliette Lewis).

Terrific Cast

The top of the cast is all big-name talent, and all are excellent. It’s funny to think a guy like Nick Nolte was an A+ star in 1991, but his prowess here flexes his abilities.

Samuel Bowden is a lawyer who lives by the code of the law. Except for the time he violated Max Cady’s Sixth Amendment rights because he knew he was guilty of a heinous crime. It sets up an intriguing discussion, debate, and point of contention for the story. This is one of the changes made from the original, and I think it’s a good one.

We follow Samuel Bowden as he flirts with a (second) affair and typical family struggles at home. His honor gets tested to the max by Cady the more his family comes into peril.

Robert De Niro is one of my favorite actors. He’s great, he’s cool, he plays an awesome villain. The character is a bit cartoonish at times, but I’ll allow it as he does an excellent job of being unhinged.

Juliette Lewis became a 90s icon with her role as Danielle “Dani” Bowden. The character is fourth billed behind the adults, but Lewis shows her talents with the time she has on screen.

In one scene, Max Cady confronts her at school. It’s a great scene, albeit tough to watch. The tension is amplified by the impeccable performance of the young Juliette Lewis playing off the veteran De Niro.

A young Jessica Lange holds her own as the dutiful wife. Joe Don Baker lends support as a comical private investigator Sam hires.

The Scorsese Effect

There’s a ton of backstory about how and when Martin Scorsese came on board to direct. You can look that up on your own.

I’ll offer praise. The film has many specific choices in relation to the filming style. Scorsese modeled his work on “Cape Fear” after Alfred Hitchcock and it’s a perfect choice to make a chilling thriller.

The score is bombastic, but it adds fuel to the story. There’s a sub-genre of late 80s/early 90s thrillers, and this is one of the best.

As usual for Scorsese, the film runs 10 minutes too long. The changes made from the original are good, but I would have tweaked some more things a bit. Max Cady twerks the line of realistic, but it’s still fun to watch.

Warning!

Sort of. The film does include a graphic sexual assault scene, and an (offscreen) animal death. Neither are too much to handle unless this type of thing is bothersome to you.

If not, “Cape Fear” is a fun thriller that can be enjoyed during the horror season.