My Top 10 Favourite Hitchcock Movies
What can you say about Alfred Hitchcock? He's one of the most famous and influential film directors of all time, and aptly named the Master of Suspense. Throughout his career, he made over fifty movies, and a great many of them have become classics.
Now, I'll freely admit to having not seen all his movies yet, so this list may not be definitive. For example, I haven't seen The Lady Vanishes, which, from the sound of it, would be a sure-fire contender for this list.
But, out of the Hitchcock movies that I've seen to date, I'm here today to count down my ten personal favourites.
And, as with all my lists, I'd recommend that you view this in reverse order, like a countdown.
Now, I'll freely admit to having not seen all his movies yet, so this list may not be definitive. For example, I haven't seen The Lady Vanishes, which, from the sound of it, would be a sure-fire contender for this list.
But, out of the Hitchcock movies that I've seen to date, I'm here today to count down my ten personal favourites.
And, as with all my lists, I'd recommend that you view this in reverse order, like a countdown.
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- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartGrace KellyWendell CoreyA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.It's about Jefferies, a photographer recovering from a broken leg. He's so bored he spends most of his time spying on his neighbours through his rear window, and begins to suspect that one of them has committed murder. The real genius of this movie is how it never leaves this one location, which puts us right into the character's shoes: trying to solve the mystery without ever leaving his apartment. I also really like how every one of the neighbours has their own story going on, which makes the neighbourhood – and the movie – seem much more complete. There's nothing else I can say without spoiling the plot, though. It's all flawlessly photographed and edited – nothing less than the work of a master. It's definitely one of Hitchcock's definitive classics for a reason, and my personal favourite.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantEva Marie SaintJames MasonA New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.It's about an innocent man who's being chased all across the country by both the police who think he's a terrorist, and actual terrorists who think he's a government agent. The plot gets much more complicated than that, but it's still easy to follow. The movie can be enjoyed for its individual set pieces – including the famous crop duster sequence and the climax atop Mount Rushmore – but overall it's both a hilarious comedy and a suspenseful thriller rolled into one. Hitchcock made a lot of cross-country reluctant hero stories, but for me and a lot of other people, this one takes the cake.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.It's about Scottie, an acrophobic detective who, as a favour to an old friend, accepts one last job: to watch over his friend's suicidal wife. But he desperately falls in love with her. The rest of the movie is kind of hard to explain, because it's not about what's literally happening on the surface. It's about what's going on in Scottie's mind, how he's obsessing over this woman and going completely insane. It's truly remarkable how well the movie pulls you right into his mindset. It's simply a masterpiece among psychological thrillers. In fact, it recently replaced "Citizen Kane" as the "greatest film ever made".
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsFarley GrangerRobert WalkerRuth RomanA psychopathic man tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.This was the first Hitchcock movie I ever saw, at a time when I was very dismissive of black-and-white movies. But by the time I was halfway through, I was totally hooked! It's about an innocent man whom a stranger tries to convince that they should "swap" murders, thinking they both have someone they want dead. He refuses, but when his nagging ex-wife turns up dead, he becomes the prime suspect. The tennis match scene has to be one of Hitchcock's most iconic moments, and the big chase sequence in the climax has me on the edge of my seat every time.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.Do I even need to comment on this one? :-) It has to be one of the most influential thrillers of all time. At first, it follows this woman who's stolen $40,000, making it seem like she'll be the star of the movie. But, a short way in, she checks into the Bates Motel, and her story comes to a violent end in the "shower scene", as it's always called – one of the most famous movie moments ever. To fully describe the ingenuity of "Psycho", I would have to reveal the whole plot – and obviously I won't do that! :-) Just watch it and see for yourself.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsLaurence OlivierJoan FontaineGeorge SandersA self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence.Hitchcock was clearly a fan of Daphne du Maurier, having also adapted "Jamaica Inn" and "The Birds" to the screen! :-) "Rebecca" is the story of an unnamed young woman who marries a rich man, but his home estate is still haunted by the memory of his late wife Rebecca. It's a brilliant psychological drama that's relentlessly tense and enthralling, right from the chilling opening narration. I also really love the scene where Maxim is describing what happened the night Rebecca died: the way the camera moves to match his words, you can see the events in your head as clear as day. Good stuff.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJon FinchBarry FosterBarbara Leigh-HuntA serial murderer is strangling women with a necktie. The London police have a suspect, but he is the wrong man.It's about a man falsely accused of being a serial killer who murders women with neckties. In many ways, it's as basic a tale of mistaken identity as it sounds. But the main character is what makes it stand out. Jon Finch is phenomenal in the role; when it comes to playing characters with tempers, he was the best. :-) There are also two particular noteworthy moments: a rape scene early on, and a sequence in a truck that makes you squirm while making the killer seem more human at the same time. In short, the film's very entertaining and, for me, sort of underrated.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantIngrid BergmanClaude RainsThe daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?The American daughter of a convicted Nazi spy is asked by government agents to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends. Through a series of events that I won't get into, they basically uncover a smuggling plot. But that's not the focus of the story. It's much more about how far this woman has to go in order to find the truth. It even gets to the point where she has to marry her target in spite of her relationship with her contact. It's a story of duty versus love, led by two terrific performances by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRay MillandGrace KellyRobert CummingsA former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.A man plans to murder his wife, so he blackmails an old friend into committing the murder for him. But when it all goes wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B. In contrast to "Shadow of a Doubt", it seems Hitchcock didn't care at all about this one. In fact, he never showed up on set; he literally phoned it in! :-) It's a shame, because it's actually a pretty intriguing crime story. It makes you wonder what you'd do in this guy's shoes. And the conclusion just goes to show that sometimes the smallest, most insignificant thing can be your biggest mistake.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsTeresa WrightJoseph CottenMacdonald CareyA teenage girl, overjoyed when her favorite uncle comes to visit the family in their quiet California town, slowly begins to suspect that he is in fact the "Merry Widow" killer sought by the authorities.An ordinary suburban family is going through a pretty boring phase, but their life becomes much more cheerful when Uncle Charlie arrives to visit. At first, his niece, Young Charlie, is ecstatic. But after a while, she begins to suspect that he may be a murderer on the run from the law. It starts out as disappointment and nervousness, and then it all leads to a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where it looks like Uncle Charlie may just be trying to kill his own beloved niece. This is one of Hitchcock's earliest true masterpieces – and it just happened to be his own personal favourite. :-)