Guilty Conscience (1985)

If Guilty Conscience had been remade by a major Hollywood studio a decade or two later, it probably would have crumbled under the weight of overwrought production design, big-name casting, and high-concept gloss. Thankfully, the original TV movie holds up due to its low-key tone, confident performances, and ingenious script (by Murder, She Wrote creators Richard A. Levinson and William Link). Watching old pros Anthony Hopkins, Blythe Danner, and Swoosie Kurtz hit all their marks with the sort of breezy professionalism that only an extensive theater background can provide, it's hard to see why only one of the trio would go on to become a superstar. Tightly plotted, flawlessly paced and clever rather than gimmicky, Guilty Conscience is the sort of Hitchcock homage that can hold its own against the master's work. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide