Cape Fear (1962)

Having nothing but time on his hands, brutal, irredeemable criminal Max Cady re-enters the life of strait-laced lawyer and family man Sam Bowden after serving a life-changing eight-year stint in jail for assault. Now, nothing can prevent Max from getting what he wants, and driven by the unquenchable desire to get even, the sadist with the chilling smirk sets a sinister cat-and-mouse game in motion. In the following days, as Cady takes pleasure in pushing Bowden's buttons in a relentless campaign of psychological warfare, the psychotic ex-con will have Bowden and his family peering over their shoulders, hell-bent on destroying the district attorney who sent him to prison. Can Sam protect what he holds dear? Will the nightmare in Cape Fear ever end?—Nick Riganas