1. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Seeing a tough woman standing between crime and innocence is captivating. In this American thriller, directed by Charles Laughton, Rachel Cooper shows it is not that easy to mess with stray children when she is around.
Harry Powell, a serial killer behind the mask of a preacher, tries to get his hands on the money his ex-cellmate Ben Harper has hidden. From gaining the trust of the people in Ben’s town to marrying and finally murdering her wife and threatening her children John and Pearl, Harry shows his talent in planned homicide.
However, after losing their parents and after the threat is gone, John and Pearl get to spend their first Christmas with Rachel and the stray kids she so kindly looks out for.