Fear of Water

Cape Fear is a 1991 American southern gothic psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Wesley Strick. It is a remake of the 1962 film, which is based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. The film stars Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Joe Don Baker, and Juliette Lewis. The film tells the story of a convicted rapist who, by using his newfound knowledge of the law and its numerous loopholes, seeks vengeance against a former public defender whom he blames for his fourteen years in prison due to purposefully botching his legal defense. Cape Fear was released by Universal Pictures on November 15, 1991, marking the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro. The film was a commercial success and became the first Scorsese film to gross more than $100 million. It received generally positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for several awards, including the Oscars and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor (De Niro) and Best Supporting Actress (Juliette Lewis). A television miniseries adaptation debuted in 2026.