Wait Until Dark (1967)

94% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(15,848 ratings)

Wait Until Dark is an innovative, highly entertaining and suspenseful thriller about a blind housewife, Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn). Independent and resourceful, Susy is learning to cope with her blindness, which resulted from a recent accident. She is aided by her difficult, slightly unreliable… More Wait Until Dark is an innovative, highly entertaining and suspenseful thriller about a blind housewife, Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn). Independent and resourceful, Susy is learning to cope with her blindness, which resulted from a recent accident. She is aided by her difficult, slightly unreliable young neighbor Gloria (Julie Herrod) with whom she has an exasperated but lovingly maternal relationship. Susy's life is changed as she is terrorized by a group of criminals who believe she has hidden a baby doll used by them to smuggle heroin into the country. Unknown to Susy, her photographer husband Sam (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) took the doll as a favor for a woman he met on an international plane flight and unwittingly brought the doll to the couple's New York apartment when the woman became afraid of the customs officials. Alone in her apartment and cut-off from the outside world, Susy must fight for her life against a gang of ruthless criminals, led by the violent, psychotic Roat (Alan Arkin). The tension builds as Roat, aided by his gang, impersonates police officers and friends of her husband in order to win Susy's confidence, gaining access to her apartment to look for the doll. The climax of the film, a violent physical confrontation between Susie and Roat in her dark kitchen, is one of the most memorable and frightening scenes in screen history. All performances are outstanding, particularly those of Audrey Hepburn who plays a vulnerable, but self-reliant woman, and Alan Arkin, in perhaps his best role, as the ruthless, manipulative Roat. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.
Genres: Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Oct 26, 1967 Wide
On DVD: Aug 5, 2003
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Nail-biting until the end.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
This superb drama filled with spell-binding tension has not lost an iota of its considerable impact, even 40 years after it was made. Audrey Hepburn is mesmerising as the blind woman whose quick thinking is more illuminating than the brightest of lights
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Audrey Hepburn received her fifth (and last) Oscar nomination for effectively playing a blind woman in this well-executed thriller based on the Broadway smash hit; equally good are the villains, played by the young Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Os furos óbvios do roteiro acabam sendo compensados pela direção tensa de Young, pela eficiente montagem e, principalmente, pelas atuações de todo o elenco (mas Hepburn e Arkin merecem destaque).
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
A classic and unforgettable thriller.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Superior thriller with one dynamite shock scene.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Wait Until Dark, Frederick Knott's gimmicky stage play about a blind woman terrorized by crooks, was brought to the screen in 1967 and was accompanied by an even more outlandish gimmick.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Great movie, it's such a unique thriller, and it's got a good cast. I was really amazed with Hepburn's performance in this movie. If you like a good thriller, look no further.
Michael G

Audrey Hepburn plays a blind version of her usual lovable self as she's getting bamboozled by a bunch of con men in search of a heroin-filled doll. When they realize she's not that helpless and grossly underestimate her, things get ugly. As always, Hepburn is charming but… More
Audrey Hepburn plays a blind version of her usual lovable self as she's getting bamboozled by a bunch of con men in search of a heroin-filled doll. When they realize she's not that helpless and grossly underestimate her, things get ugly. As always, Hepburn is charming but almost has the show stolen from her by Alan Arkin while Richard Crenna and Jack Weston try and keep up. Terence Young's (early Bond director) direction is pretty tight and despite the claustrophobia a movie based on a play imposes, he pulls the whole thing off pretty well. Henry Mancini's score was pretty cool too even if if seemed to be trying a little too hard. I kind of wish I'd seen this sooner but it doesn't quite make my kick in the ass list. Great stuff nonetheless...
Megan S

I watched this because I had seen the play and I was interested to check out the film version. It was definitely just as awesome as the play was.
Randy T

A thriller that's withstood forty-something years remarkably well.
Robert C

All things considered, a really well done and engrossing film for it's time. The plot line is overly complicated for it's own good, but the trick here is NOT to over analyze it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. The cast is solid and everyone does a good (if not a… More
All things considered, a really well done and engrossing film for it's time. The plot line is overly complicated for it's own good, but the trick here is NOT to over analyze it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. The cast is solid and everyone does a good (if not a bit hammy at times) job in their roles. Lot's of fun and creative ideas come into play which have (over the years) been borrowed from in other films. I really good "old fashioned" thriller.
Nicki M

I have never quite "gotten" the whole thing with Audrey Hepburn. I have never thought she was all that attractive or especially good as an actress. Here I found her okay, although a bit annoying, but the actual movie is really good. Great suspense thriller which kept me… More
I have never quite "gotten" the whole thing with Audrey Hepburn. I have never thought she was all that attractive or especially good as an actress. Here I found her okay, although a bit annoying, but the actual movie is really good. Great suspense thriller which kept me interested all the way through.. Alan Arkin is excellent in it and also the young actress who plays Gloria.
A.D. V

For a 1960's film it not only works well it is actually still suspenseful. Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin turn out some wonderful performances, Richard Crenna makes for a likeable bad guy and the plot unfolds at a nice pace. A highly recommended top notch old school thriller.
jd c

A non-stop suspenseful tour de force. Once Wait Until Dark starts with the thrills it never lets up. I hope you're not a nail bitter, cause if so, after watching this one you won't have any nails left! It's hair-raising and it's sensational. Audrey Hepburn is truly… More
A non-stop suspenseful tour de force. Once Wait Until Dark starts with the thrills it never lets up. I hope you're not a nail bitter, cause if so, after watching this one you won't have any nails left! It's hair-raising and it's sensational. Audrey Hepburn is truly nothing short of amazing. This is an outstanding, flawless, and chilling classic film. "Audrey Hepburn is Susy Hendrix, a young blind woman living in a New York brownstone with her photographer husband, Sam. Pushed by Sam and herself to be "the world's champion blind lady," Susy is thrown a challenge when a trio of criminals discovers a child's doll filled with heroin has mysteriously found itself inside her apartment. Through multiple disguises and characters, the three baddies move in for the kill...until Susy, with the aid of young neighbor Gloria, discover their plot and are left on their own to fend for themselves." <img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/WaitUntilDark.jpg"> "Where is it? Where is it? OH GOD!" "WAIT UNTIL DARK is one of the most memorable film thrillers you could ever see. The story's complexity, the subtle direction and superlative acting all combine to put nearly every suspense film to come after it to shame. It's truly a film experience, but you'd better put your lights on." - Monsters At Play "A chilling film, even by today's standards." - At-A-Glance Film Reviews "Darkness might never be the same after you watch this film. How about that?!" - Movie Freak "Combine great performances, a smart script with intelligent character work, strong direction and a great score by Henry Mancini and you get one of the best suspense films ever put out." - Ain't It Cool News "This is a taut, intelligent, creepy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat with it's visual style and well-written plot." - Crazy for Cinema "Watch it with someone who likes to scream!" - Slant Magazine In "The Book of Lists: Horror", the climactic heart-stopping confrontation between Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin is #1 on Stephen King's list.
Dean M

This is the screen's most memorable thrillers. Alan Arkin's especially frightened as the psychotic gang's mastermind who alternates between moments of deceptive charm and sudden violence in this attempt to separate Audrey Hepburn from the doll.
moon r

hey! the bad guys take a nod from the coppers and use "good"bad guy, "bad" bad guy to put the squeeze on poor lil blind as a bat (is it politically correct to say that?) audrey, only she got her own ideers! very tense, very nerve-wracking...you've been… More
hey! the bad guys take a nod from the coppers and use "good"bad guy, "bad" bad guy to put the squeeze on poor lil blind as a bat (is it politically correct to say that?) audrey, only she got her own ideers! very tense, very nerve-wracking...you've been warned.
Leigh R

Fantastic film... I love Audrey so much.
Rico Z

Audrey Hepburn is awesome as the heroine (no pun intended). The mystery and suspense build to a riveting climax that (tame by today's standards) is still filled with extraordinary amounts of drama and tension. I was in this play in high school and have loved the movie ever since.
Bradley J

Chilling, and acting from the two leads. You truly feel sad for Audrey, and Arkin is convincingly creepy. The terrifying climax is awesome! Overall Rating:84
Andreas B

People often remark on how much more terrifying, or better even, old horror films are. Movies that are stated as being the best in horror date back from the twenties and thirties with classics like Nosferatu and King Kong, until around the eighties with movies like The Shining and… More
People often remark on how much more terrifying, or better even, old horror films are. Movies that are stated as being the best in horror date back from the twenties and thirties with classics like Nosferatu and King Kong, until around the eighties with movies like The Shining and Poltergeist. One movie that is often overlooked is Wait Until Dark. Okay, Wait Until Dark may not have any memorable monsters, and it may take ages to get to the scary moments, but that's what makes it scary. The waiting for the story to break. The movie stars the ever so lovely Audrey Hepburn in what I find to be one of her best roles, if not her best: A blind woman who is only still learning how to live with her handicap as she is going to school for it. The movie also stars Alan Arkin, who proves that whether it is him in the 60's or the new millennium, and whether or not he has hair, he looks the same, but that's beside the point. It also proves that he was just as good an actor back then as he is now. He plays the main antagonist; a criminal on the search for heroin stuffed inside of a doll. It is of obvious importance to him, as he has already killed someone in the process; a conwoman named Lisa. Suzy (Audrey) is left alone in her house, as this is taken advantage of by three criminals. By pretending to be friends of his husband and cops and other people, the con men get Suzy to believe that Lisa's death was perhaps her husband's doing, which she refuses to believe (although she does get a suspicion that they were having an affair). After questioning why she heard obscure sounds (such as the blinds being opened and closed all the time), she finally realizes that she is being robbed, as she races to find a way to stop it. Amazing acting, as already mentioned, and a perfect score for the tension, Wait Until Dark is a thriller that is very often overlooked. While the film is very talkative, the final twenty minutes make up for this as it becomes a very intimidating experience. I highly suggest watching this film in the dark to take advantage of its dim lighting and, sometimes, lack of lighting all together. Even if you do not find this film scary or any bit frightening, the whole movie is fantastic and very well thought out, and I wish more horror movies nowadays were like this. In the end, it is most modern horror movies that are blind, not Suzy. Final Rating: 9.8/10 Keep An Eye Out For: Alan Arkin. He tends to do many sneaky things throughout the film which aren't always noticed until multiple viewings.
William G

Thriller starts out decent, only grows tauter until terrific climax.
Noah N

If the phrase "suspenseful but memorable" had a meaning, it will be the movie 'Wait Until Dark' (1967). A one of a kind thriller best to be seen... in the dark.
Sylvester K

Hepburn gave us her best performance, the portrayal of a blind woman was so believable, absolutely a masterpiece
Jared H

A terrific thriller that really holds its own after all these years. It has kind of a similar vibe as Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but I think that this one is even more suspenseful and more successful. Alan Arkin and Audrey Hepburn also both give great performances.… More
A terrific thriller that really holds its own after all these years. It has kind of a similar vibe as Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but I think that this one is even more suspenseful and more successful. Alan Arkin and Audrey Hepburn also both give great performances. Check this one out, for sure.
Sarah B

A superb thriller that could've done with being a bit darker, with a sympathetic bad guy, the typical idiot bad guy and the boo hiss bad guy played by the brilliant Alan Arkin. However the film belongs to the ever incredible Audrey Hepburn.
John M

¨Wait Until Dark¨ is a very nice thriller with some good acting, specially the leading role by Audrey Hepburn, as an innocent blind woman. The story is good, full of suspense, just with some minor plot holes. All in all, this was claustrophobic experience that kept me on the edge of… More
¨Wait Until Dark¨ is a very nice thriller with some good acting, specially the leading role by Audrey Hepburn, as an innocent blind woman. The story is good, full of suspense, just with some minor plot holes. All in all, this was claustrophobic experience that kept me on the edge of my seat and thrilled.