Dial M for Murder
A London playboy plots the perfect murder of his rich, unfaithful wife.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 105 min · 1954
Trailer
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Studio
Warner Bros.
Release
29 May 1954
Runtime
105 min
Genres
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Full Plot
In London, wealthy Margot Mary Wendice had a brief love affair with the American writer Mark Halliday while her husband and professional tennis player Tony Wendice was on a tennis tour. Tony quits playing to dedicate to his wife and finds a regular job. She decides to give him a second chance for their marriage. When Mark arrives from America to visit the couple, Margot tells him that she had destroyed all his letters but one that was stolen. Subsequently she was blackmailed, but she had never retrieved the stolen letter. Tony arrives home, claims that he needs to work and asks Margot to go with Mark to the theater. Meanwhile Tony calls Captain Lesgate (aka Charles Alexander Swann who studied with him at college) and blackmails him to murder his wife, so that he can inherit her fortune. But there is no perfect crime, and things do not work as planned.
Cast & Characters
Tony Wendice
Ray Milland
Margot Mary Wendice
Grace Kelly
Mark Halliday
Robert Cummings
Chief Inspector Hubbard
John Williams
Charles Alexander Swann/Captain Lesgate
Anthony Dawson
storyteller at the party
Leo Britt
Detective Pearson
Patrick Allen
Detective Williams
George Leigh
First Detective
George Alderson
Police Sergeant
Robin Hughes
policeman outside Wendice flat (uncredited)
Martin Milner
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $1.4M, Dial M for Murder has grossed $3.0M worldwide — about 2.1x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Alfred Hitchcock has directed 5 films in our catalog, including Vertigo, North by Northwest.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
After I Confess (1953), Hitchcock planned to film The Bramble Bush, based on the 1948 novel by David Duncan, as a Transatlantic Pictures production, with partner Sidney Bernstein.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Dial M for Murder holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (204,423 votes), 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 2, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (204,423 votes), 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dial M for Murder's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Dial M for Murder holds a 90% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Dial M for Murder's IMDb rating?+
Dial M for Murder has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 204,423 votes.
What is Dial M for Murder's Metacritic score?+
Dial M for Murder has a Metascore of 75/100 on Metacritic.
Is Dial M for Murder good? What are critics saying?+
Dial M for Murder holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (204,423 votes), 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Dial M for Murder?+
Dial M for Murder has a runtime of 105 min.
Who directed Dial M for Murder?+
Dial M for Murder was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Where can I watch Dial M for Murder?+
Dial M for Murder is available to stream, rent, or buy on IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to the movie "Dial M for Murder" is generally positive, with many praising its suspenseful storytelling, well-developed characters, and Alfred Hitchcock's direction. Some reviewers also appreciate the film's intellectual approach to exposition and the performances of its cast members, particularly Ray Milland as the suave but calculating Tony. The movie has been cited as one of Hitchcock's finest mystery thrillers, and several viewers have expressed a desire to watch it again or in future years.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
I used to consider this second-tier Hitchcock, but a re-watch proved to me just how excellent the script and directing were, as well as how stellar and underrated both Grace Kelly and Ray Milland tend to be, at least presently, three generations after the fact. The suspense is ti…
talisencrw · 10/10No, I'm afraid my murders would be something like my bridge: I'd make some stupid mistake and never realize it until I found everybody was looking at me. Middle tier Hitchcock it may be, by his own admission, but it's still one of the finest mystery thrillers around. Ray Milland…
John Chard · 8/10Just with a glance at the cast list and the knowledge that it's directed by the legendary film-making genius Alfred Hitchcock, you know it's going to be good. This taut, nicely-done thriller was originally filmed in 3D, though I wouldn't say it's any less effective when viewed no…
barrymost · 7/10While this is not one of the most popular Alfred Hitchcock films out there, it is still brilliant. You can immediately recognise this film has Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s signature on it from the way the film is shot and its story is told. I did not know anything about the film before…
Jack · 8/10It is very obvious that this was written as a play. It is very heavy on exposition to cover almost all activities that take place outside of the "essentially" one room of the apartment. Nothing wrong with that, but it gives the film a different feel. This is more of an intellectu…
katch22 · 9/10This is definitely my favourite Hitchcock thriller. Adapted from Frederick Knott's equally enduring stage play; Ray Milland is wonderfully suave, debonaire and calculating as "Tony" who goes to some effort to enact the perfect murder to despatch his cheating wife (Grace Kelly). H…
CinemaSerf · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
Prlly my fav Hitchcock
@ronjeremy23 · 1 likesHope it comes back to Australia
@fordlandau · 2 likesI would like to watch this movie. I have been looking for it for ages.
@disenchanteddisillusioned8082 · 2 likesJust watched it, superb!
@Disneyology · 1 likes
