As the movie came out during WWII, it seems to have a direct parallel to the evil leaders loose in the world, particularly in the film's final scene. The second half, including the increasing revelation of Uncle Charlie's dark views of humanity and the lengths to which he will go to protect himself, is what make the film so sinister.

On the other hand, there is a real small town feeling to this setting, helped in no doubt by Thornton Wilder being one of the screenwriters, and the characters of Charlie's father (Henry Travers) and his friend (Hume Cronyn) passing the time by talking about the perfect murder are absolutely priceless. Some of the tension is also missing because we're pretty darn sure Uncle Charlie is guilty. Two of those films, Shadow of a Doubt (1943), and Rear Window (1954), are arguably two of Hitchcock’s most. I considered a slightly higher rating, but thought the pace in the first half of the movie was a little slow. Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt and Rear Window: Gender, Sexuality, Moral Ambiguity, Cinema During the course of his long career, Sir Alfred Hitchcock directed numerous murder mystery thriller films. Trouble is just behind him though, and it gets worse when his niece (also 'Charlie', named after him, and played by Teresa Wright) begins to suspect him of being the 'Merry Widow Murderer'. Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is on the run from the law on the East Coast, and he settles in with his sister and her family in Santa Rosa. Hitchcock said this was his favorite film, and there is a quiet evil about it that makes it truly horrifying.

Shadow of a doubt scene analysis