Cape Fear 1991

Vincent Canby, New York Times: Stay away if you're squeamish but, if you do, you'll miss an essential work by one of our masters, as well as two of the year's most accomplished performances, those of Mr. De Niro and Ms. Lewis. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: It's hard to understand why Martin Scorsese wanted to remake a nasty, formulaic 1962 thriller whose only "classic" credentials are a terrifying performance by Robert Mitchum and a Bernard Herrmann score. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Proves that when a maverick virtuoso like Scorsese sets his mind to it, making ''mainstream'' movies is one more thing he can do better than just about anyone else. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Impressive moviemaking, showing Scorsese as a master of a traditional Hollywood genre who is able to mold it to his own themes and obsessions. Read more

Time Out: Overblown horror-schlocker. Read more

Variety: Smart and stylish. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: It's a brutal, demonic film with a grip like a vise; it grabs you early, its fingers around your throat, and never lets go. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: It's a helluva movie. Read more