A lot of fun.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Blistering performances.

Much has been made of films which use past decades to set their stories in, but much less praise has been directed at those which emulate the style originally employed in that period. There has, of course, been many failures to replicate the successful Alfred Hitchcock formula. "The House on Carroll Street" is not one of those. It falls into neither common failing of such films - there is no attempt to graft an anachronistic approach to an older style, nor to bring that older style into a modern decade. This film understands that such a style cannot be separated from the emotions and perceptions of the time.Peter Yates, a director who generally creates for the present time, does an unexpectedly excellent job at recreating this lost world. He uses cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (who went on to photograph "Quiz Show", another 1950s recreation) to wonderful effect, letting him capture his scenes in a manner that never once strays from the older approach. Yates shows us how thrilling the suspense and big set-pieces can be when not buried in special effects and quick cuts. Yates proves why he's one of the great overlooked talents.Jeff Daniels and Kelly McGillis have very much that 'star chemistry' valued for this sort of picture. McGillis, especially, brings a lightness and intensity most modern actresses could only pretend at. Patinkin is appropriately menacing. Jessica Tandy was my favorite performance, a tiny role nonetheless brightened by the nuances she brings to it. Christopher Buchholz provides an engaging, fearful, yet somehow innocent performance to the character of Stefan.Imagining that "The House on Carroll Street" were somehow released during the era in which it is set, I have little doubt it would be considered one of the great classics. Films such as "North By Northwest" have all the same limitations and plot implausibilities, yet are no more or less thrilling than this one. I see nothing of lower quality to be found here, only a picture made in a period where it couldn't be recognized. If you love the classic thrillers, you should certainly love this one as well.

All the time this girl was running. And at final reject an facile end. It was so natural from a woman point of view to reject an agent who loves she. She is blonde ?! I see now you need 10 lines to admit it is a comment. Well: All this movie I see this girl alone against all. Fighting for his Idea or right. You can see this girl as a "don Quijote" one. Impresionant is that succeed to convince the people around her ... is like a warm wind of springtime, arising the flowers up at sun. This was not a typical Hollywood movie, it was a MOVIE. Why 10 lines of text ? I'll repeat tree times the text. Is unfair: I have few opinions about to share and now I must make a dissertation about it ? well I am not Tolstoi ... All the time this girl was running. And at final reject an facile end. It was so natural from a woman point of view to reject an agent who loves she. She is blonde ?! I see now you need 10 lines to admit it is a comment. Well: All this movie I see this girl alone against all. Fighting for his Idea or right. You can see this girl as a "don Quijote" one. Impresionant is that succeed to convince the people around her ... is like a warm wind of springtime, arising the flowers up at sun. This was not a typical Hollywood movie, it was a MOVIE. All the time this girl was running. And at final reject an facile end. It was so natural from a woman point of view to reject an agent who loves she. She is blonde ?! I see now you need 10 lines to admit it is a comment. Well: All this movie I see this girl alone against all. Fighting for his Idea or right. You can see this girl as a "don Quijote" one. Impresionant is that succeed to convince the people around her ... is like a warm wind of springtime, arising the flowers up at sun. This was not a typical Hollywood movie, it was a MOVIE.

The film has good pace, and excellent photography, and is very much in the style of Hitchcock even to the music which, at times, one feels was almost written by Bernard Herrmann. A simple story perfectly developed, with an economical and sharp script.

Well, I have.This is one of the last non-ironic, non-twisted thrillerplots of the mainstream movie industry of the past century. Afterwards, most thriller movies either turned "Die Hard" (nonsensical action) or "Seven" (near nonsensical twist).The thrillerplot is also serving as a shadowplay of the subplot - the failed relationship between Daniels and McGillis.The McGillis character is of course crucial. Two scenes underline her search for personal insight and freedom, where Daniels for his part gives up. One is where she is portrayed in the dark windows of the neighbourhouse, before breaking the glass. Two is her lone fight with the villain at the central train station, where Daniels is as passive as any antihero of movie history.She did kill the boy of course, and she is still waiting for that man. Is she wrong or is she right? She is she.