Spellbound (1945)

Spellbound (1945) — a taut blend of film-noir, mystery and romance — follows Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman), a steadfast psychiatrist at Green Manors, who becomes entangled with the new, charismatic director, Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck). When Edwardes begins displaying odd, fearful behavior he cannot explain, Constance discovers he may be an amnesiac impostor accused of a shocking crime. Protecting his identity, she races to recover his lost memories and uncover the truth before the law — and his own fractured mind — catch up. Watching Spellbound you’ll get a slow-burning psychological thriller wrapped in a romantic core: tense investigations, ethical dilemmas, and shifting loyalties keep the mystery alive, while a developing love story raises the personal stakes. The film moves between clinical wards, moody streets and intimate interrogations, building suspense through atmosphere and performance rather than action. A striking surreal dream sequence (created by Salvador Dalí) injects vivid, symbolic imagery into the investigation, highlighting the movie’s interest in the unconscious and Freudian ideas. Expect classic 1940s noir style — black-and-white cinematography, high-contrast shadows and a measured pace — anchored by strong leads whose chemistry and moral conflicts make the mystery feel urgent and human. Spellbound offers psychological intrigue, emotional tension, and one memorable cinematic image after another, culminating in a revelation that redefines what you thought you knew about identity, guilt and trust.

Actors: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Runtime: 111 min

Genres: Film-Noir, Mystery, Romance

7.7 /10 78 /100 7.5 /10 7.7 /10