Cinema has given the world some very memorable villains, many of whom usually show up around Halloween armed with sharp instruments and scary masks. The villain in The Night of the Hunter (1955) has no scary mask but should still stand alongside Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. This particular monster is a misogynist, a killer of women, and a manipulator. Depending on the filmmakers this sort of material could be just a cheap slasher movie. Instead, this is one of the most visually striking and powerful thrillers ever made. Despite its quality, The Night of the Hunter is difficult to find. As far as I know it is not on any streaming service and it is not often shown on TV. Recently it did play on the Turner Classic Movies channel, which sadly I watched on my IPad. I say sadly because even though this movie is in black and white and has zero explosions, it should be seen on the big screen. Many scenes are so artistic they could be paintings, and the use of shadows and lightings is