History YMMV / StrangersOnATrain

* HoYay: Bruno's plan would have worked - had he not been so ''interested'' in Guy. This is ''multiply'' true in the book.

* HoYay: Bruno's plan would have worked - had he not been so ''interested'' in Guy.

* FoeYay: Bruno's plan would have worked - had he not been so ''interested'' in Guy.

*** What makes it especially scary is just how ''sudden'' it is. Miriam turns around, Bruno briefly illuminates the scene with Guy's cigarette lighter as he asks if she's Miriam, and she barely gets out a word confirming this when he starts strangling her. The scene is also frighteningly quiet, with only the carnival music playing in the background as Bruno chokes her to death.

** Then there's the scene at the party where Brunonearly strangles a woman while [[DeathGlare staring at Babs.]] Had he not fainted shortly after, she probably would have died.

* HarsherInHindsight: The ending, with [[spoiler:Bruno dying after the merry-go-round crashes]]. Robert Walker died accidentally about a month after the film was released (from an adverse reaction to prescription drugs).

* IdiotBall: A fair amount of the drama could have been easily avoided if Guy had just gone to the police after finding out Bruno killed his ex-wife. If Bruno accused him of conspiracy, Guy could mount an easy defense since there was no exchange of money, no evidence of coercion, the two men had never met before and Bruno's father could've easily testified to his son's general instability, which he probably would have done because he believed Bruno needed help. In addition he was more-or-less the son-in-law of a Senator, which would have probably given him access to a more than competent defense attorney.
** What's more, the police could've easily verified Guy's alibi for the night of the murder. Even if Guy's witness didn't remember him, the platform/train attendants who presumably took his bags at New York and then Washington could have identified him and debunked the theory that he got on at Baltimore.
* MoralEventHorizon: Bruno strangles Miriam, a woman that he never met before and his motivation to use it plunges him even further down. He plots to mastermind the murder of his own father, just because he restricts his clearly unhinged freedom.
** The policemen are depicted in the worst way possible even compared to the rest of ''Creator/AlfredHitchcock's'' filmography. While chasing after Guy who is a prime suspect by that point, they choose to actually ''shoot him in the back'' breaking all rules concerning law enforcement as: 1) he is not proven guilty yet and their position doesn't allow them to reach a verdict, 2) he is not armed and therefore it qualifies as cold-blooded murder of a possibly innocent man and 3) he is in a crowded area which can and does lead to the death of ''another'' innocent man.
* NightmareFuel: Most of the long sequence where Bruno silently stalks Miriam and her companions around the park qualifies. However, special mention goes to the moment where she turns around as if she knows she's being watched, [[ParanoiaFuel then turns back to find him standing right next to her.]]
** Then there's the scene at the party where Bruno [[spoiler: nearly strangles a woman while [[DeathGlare staring at Babs.]] Had he not fainted shortly after, she probably would have died.]]

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The merry-go-round scene has not aged well.

** The policemen are depicted in the worst way possible in all of ''Creator/AlfredHitchcock's'' filmography. While chasing after Guy who is a prime suspect by that point, they choose to actually ''shoot him in the back'' breaking all rules concerning law enforcement as: 1) he is not proven guilty yet and their position doesn't allow them to reach a verdict, 2) he is not armed and therefore it qualifies as cold-blooded murder of a possibly innocent man and 3) he is in a crowded area which can and does lead to the death of ''another'' innocent man.

* MoralEventHorizon: Bruno strangles Miriam, a woman that he never met before and his motivation for doing it makes it a double one. He plots to mastermind the murder of his own father, just because he restricts his clearly unhinged freedom.
** The policemen are depicted in the worst way possible in this film. While chasing after Guy who is a prime suspect by that point, they choose to actually ''shoot him in the back'' breaking all rules concerning law enforcement as: 1) he is not proven guilty yet and their position doesn't allow them to reach a verdict, 2) he is not armed and therefore it qualifies as cold-blooded murder of a possibly innocent man and 3) he is in a crowded area which can and does lead to the death of another innocent man.

* NightmareFuel: Most of the long sequence where Bruno silently stalks Miriam and her companions around the park qualifies. However, special mention goes to the moment where she turns around as if she knows she's being watched, [[ParanoiaFuel then turns back to find him standing right next to her.]]

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: during the fight on the carousel, a little kid on one of the horses tries to help Guy, smacking Bruno a few times as they exchange blows next to him. Soon enough, Bruno knocks the kid off the horse and [[AdultFear he nearly falls off the dangerously fast-moving carousel, to the horror of the onlookers]]. Guy immediately breaks off from the fight to save the kid, getting him onto another seat even as Bruno is still trying to attack him and only resuming the fight after the little boy is safe. If you weren't convinced that Guy is fundamentally a good person by now, this act of heroism cements it.

* AdultFear: The merry-go-round scene. Imagine your kids riding it while two men are in a scuffle, one them a murderer, and then the ride crashes.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: while Bruno is stalking Miriam, a little kid walks up to him pointing a toy gun and says "Bang, bang!" Bruno just gives him a blank look for a moment. As the kid leaves, Bruno pops his balloon with his cigarette and the kid gives him this unbelieving look.

* FridgeHorror: ''Miriam was pregnant when she was murdered.''

* HarsherInHindsight: Robert Walker, who played Bruno, suffered from mental and emotional problems in RealLife. Less than two months after this film's premiere, he had an emotional outburst following a bout of drinking. His housekeeper summoned Walker's psychiatrist, who administered an injection of sodium amytal to try and calm him down; the drug interacted with the alcohol in his system to cause a severe (and ultimately fatal) reaction.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The movie is a classic, the novel is overshadowed by Highsmith's later works, particularly the ''Literature/{{Ripliad}}''.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The movie is a classic, the novel is overshadowed by Highsmith's later works, particularly the {{Ripliad}}.

* IdiotBall: A fair amount of the drama could have been easily avoided if Guy had just gone to the police after finding out Bruno killed his ex-wife. If Bruno accused him of conspiracy, Guy could mount an easy defence since there was no exchange of money, no evidence of coercion, the two men had never met before and Bruno's father could've easily testified to his son's general instability, which he probably would've done because he believed Bruno needed help. In addition he was more-or-less the son-in-law of a Senator, which would have probably given him access to a more than competent defence attorney.
** The police could've easily proven Guy's alibi for the night of the murder. Even if Guy's witness didn't remember him, the platform/train attendants who presumably took his bags at New York and then Washington could've identified him and debunked the theory that he got on at Baltimore.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The novel is pretty well forgotten, whereas the movie is a classic.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: "His hands were on ''her'' neck, but he was strangling ''me''."

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The merry-go-round scene has not aged well.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: "His hands were on ''her'' neck, but he was strangling ''me''."