Young and Innocent: A charming, messy early Hitchcock sprint

Is it worth the watch?

If you like movies that feel like a breezy, slightly frantic Sunday afternoon, yes. It’s definitely for people who prefer their thrills with a dash of British politeness and accidental comedy.

However, if you are the type of person who needs every plot point to make perfect sense or gets annoyed when characters do impulsive, silly things, you’ll probably want to skip this one. It moves fast, but the logic is definitely loose.

The vibe

The whole thing feels like a prototype for later, tighter movies. There is this one scene—the crane shot at the end—that is just wild. It starts high up, zooms across a massive ballroom, and lands right on a guy's twitching eye. It’s so ambitious for the time that it almost feels like the camera is showing off just to prove it can do it.

Most of the movie is just people running around looking worried, which, honestly, I kind of love. It’s got that early-Hitchcock energy where he’s still figuring out how much suspense he can squeeze out of a simple misunderstanding.

A few random thoughts

• The chemistry between the leads is actually pretty sweet. It’s not forced, just two people stuck together by bad luck.
• The police in this movie are mostly just bumbling through the scenery. It’s hilarious how easily they get outsmarted.
• There is a moment involving a tramp that feels like it belongs in an entirely different, much darker movie. It’s weirdly jarring.
• If you think modern thrillers are too self-serious, you should check this out. It’s not trying to be a The Rich Are Always with Us style drama; it just wants to have fun.

There’s this odd, almost claustrophobic feeling when they are hiding out. You can tell the actors are really trying to sell the tension, even when the dialogue gets a bit thin.

Wait, why are they doing that?

Some of the decisions are baffling. You’ll find yourself whispering at the screen, "Why are you stopping to chat now?" but that’s the charm. It’s a movie that prioritizes the chase over the common sense of the characters.

It’s not perfect. It’s not even the best thing he ever made. But it’s got a personality that’s hard to ignore, and honestly, sometimes that’s enough. 🎥