35 years ago, Robert De Niro haunted screens as the psychotic Max Cady, and he continues to do so today.

“I ain’t no white trash piece of shit. I’m better than you all! I can out-learn you. I can out-read you. I can out-think you. And I can out-philosophize you. And I’m gonna outlast you.”

One of cinema’s meanest psychopaths, Max Cady, returns to the big screen for the 35th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s gritty and haunting thriller. He is a man willing to go through hell to reach paradise by brutal force. Robert De Niro’s terrifying update of the character, originally played by Robert Mitchum in the 1962 version, marked the sixth collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro, following masterpieces such as “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas”.

De Niro underwent a staggering physical transformation for the role, gaining 12 kg of muscle. He infamously paid a dentist 5,000 dollars to grind down and stain his teeth for a menacing look, whilst flawlessly developing Cady’s thick Southern drawl. Fresh out of prison, the convicted criminal begins terrorising his former defence lawyer, Sam Bowden, for burying key evidence. Armed with an exact knowledge of the law, Max orchestrates a twisted campaign of revenge against Sam’s family, relentlessly stalking his wife and teenage daughter, Danielle.

P.S. After revisiting De Niro’s iconic Max Cady on the big screen, you might want to check out Javier Bardem’s chilling portrayal of Cady in the newly released 10-episode series, executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.