The Executioners
by John D. MacDonaldliterary work· published 1957
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The Executioners is a psychological thriller-suspense novel written by John D. MacDonald, published in 1957. The story tells of a lawyer being stalked and tormented by a criminal he helped put in prison. It has been adapted three times under the title Cape Fear, as a film in 1962 and 1991, and as a miniseries in 2026. The first film adaptation is more faithful to the novel, with the 1991 adaptation being considerably more brutal and violent.
Adaptations (3)
The Executioners has been adapted 3 times, across film and television series, from 1962 to 2026. The most recent is Cape Fear (2026).
Cape Fear1962 · film · 106 min · dir. J. Lee Thompson · IMDb ↗Sam Bowden witnesses a rape committed by Max Cady and testifies against him. When released after 8 years in prison, Cady begins stalking Bowden and his family but is always clever enough not to violate the law.
Cape Fear1991 · film · 128 min · dir. Martin Scorsese · IMDb ↗Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.
