Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark humor, violence, smoking in classic romantic thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Charade
What's the Story?
In CHARADE, Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) returns to Paris after her husband is murdered to find herself pursued by a group of men in pursuit of a stolen fortune. A mysterious stranger (Cary Grant) steps in to help, but does he have her best interests at heart or is he just after the money too?
Is It Any Good?
Director Stanley Donan (Singin' in the Rain) merges a Hitchcockian-style thriller with a screwball romantic comedy in this playful, fast-paced mystery. Hepburn and Grant have a great chemistry in Charade, making it difficult to believe this is the only movie the two starred in together during their successful careers. As with many of Hepburn's romantic pairings, there was a significant age gap—26 years—but the two make for an otherwise natural duo as the games commence and the "charade" of lies, masks, and double-crossing unfolds. Grant is particularly well cast in a fairly characteristic role—the handsome, enigmatic stranger, who it's hard to trust but easy to fall for—and Hepburn hits an enjoyable middle ground somewhere between knowing flirt and wide-eyed waif. Paris (filmed on location) is as charming as it ever was on-screen, particularly in scenes down by the river, where it's hard to resist the city's romantic flair. Where the film slightly falls down is in becoming a jack of all trades—thriller, mystery, romance, dark comedy—losing a little of each one in the process. But it's a vibrant, enjoyable movie that does all it can to keep viewers guessing until the final twist.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the themes of truth and lies in Charade. Why do you think the truth is so important to Regina? Why does Peter lie during the movie? What reasons do people sometimes have for lying in real life? Do you think it's ever excusable?
The movie involves quite a few grisly deaths. Was the level of violence what you expected? Do the romantic and comedy aspects of the film make the violence more surprising than it would be in a straight thriller?
Another theme of the film is love growing in difficult/surprising circumstances. Were you rooting for the characters to get together? What do you think makes a good romantic pairing on-screen? How does this compare to other movie romances of the time?
How was smoking depicted in the film? Was it glamorized? How has our behavior when it comes to smoking changed from when the movie was set and filmed?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 5, 1963
- On DVD or streaming : April 6, 2004
- Cast : Cary Grant , Audrey Hepburn , Walter Matthau
- Director : Stanley Donen
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Adventures , Arts , Family Stories , History ( War: WWII ) , Travel
- Run time : 113 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Awards : Academy Award - Other Category Nominee , BAFTA - BAFTA Winner , BAFTA - BAFTA Nominee , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Nominee
- Last updated : November 14, 2025
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