Dial M for Murder - Movie Reviews (2025)

Dial M for Murder is never short of suspense and the master of suspense's first of three films with Grace Kelly is among the top tier of Hitchcock's filmography.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 3, 2023

The story never trips over itself and Hitchcock let’s Knott’s script do most of the heavy lifting.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 20, 2022

It is probably the only 3D film that truly realizes the potential of what such a misused medium can offer a talented director.

Full Review | Aug 1, 2022

Although the first act is where the franticness resides, the brilliance of the film is in the aftermath.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Aug 18, 2020

Ray Milland is sufficiently suave as the misbegotten genius, and Hitchcock has moved about very sure-footedlv on what continues to be for the most part just a stage.

Full Review | Apr 16, 2020

The film will mainly be of interest to Hitchcock aficionados and fans of '50s moviemaking - from the décor and costume, to the lovely use of Technicolor.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 31, 2019

Dial M For Murder (1954) is director Alfred Hitchcock's screen version of English playwright Frederick Knott's script. It was filmed in 3-D with the faddish technology that was available at the time (but already going out of fashion)...

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Sep 29, 2019

The movie is worth seeing even now, if for no other aim than to show a man ambitiously experimenting with the devious facets that would inspire greater films.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 25, 2015

An exercise made by an enormously talented constructor of thrillers in the most fertile period of his career.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jul 5, 2014

The risk with clever thrillers is always that they will focus on pleasing the intellect at the expense of developing more depth. Dial M For Murder is a different kind of animal.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 19, 2013

Rather than let someone else mess with a play that has a formal perfection, Hitchcock did the adaptation himself, his only such credit while in Hollywood.

Full Review | Jul 28, 2013

Milland's sinister sophistication catches the eye, but Kelly's subtly shaded suffering is superb.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 26, 2013

Ray Milland is great as cold fish Tony Wendice, a former tennis pro who plans to bump off his adulterous wife. Still, Grace Kelly is mis-cast (or misdirected) as the spouse in question.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 26, 2013

The depth of focus, framing of characters and objects and use of the claustrophobic sets add extra pleasure to what was already a thoroughly enjoyable "perfect crime" nail-biter.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 25, 2013

The set-up is ingenious and the "kill" scene genuinely thrilling.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 25, 2013

Grace Kelly reaches out into the audience for murder scissors; foreground tea tables all but clonk your knees; a tell-tale door key - how many Hitchcock revelation moments feature those! - is brandished inches from your nose.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 25, 2013

Second tier Hitch perhaps, but no less enjoyable for it, and still a marvel of cinematic technique.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 25, 2013

Despite Hitchcock's own reservations this is definitely worth a look. Interesting to his aficionados and darkly funny and depressing in turns.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 22, 2013

A tightly wound psychological parlour game, expanded only slightly from its claustrophobic stage roots.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 16, 2013

This second-tier Hitchcock is best known for Grace Kelly's star turn and sleek production values, including use of 3D.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jan 11, 2013