The aptly nicknamed “Master of Suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock, had a 51-year-long career, spanning from 1925 to 1976. Throughout those years, he released at least 47 films, was nominated for 5 academy awards, won a lifetime achievement award from the Academy, and was knighted the same year he died. He is known for his use of foreshadowing and eerie soundtracks, and completely redefined Hollywood’s approach to the horror genre with The Hitchcock Theory, a filmmaking strategy that can be summarized in his most famous quote: “always make the audience suffer as much as possible.” While the question of his best movies has always been of high contention, below is a list of some of his scariest films to end Halloween weekend with.
“Psycho”
When young bank assistant Marion Crane skips town after stealing a large sum of money from her employer, she winds up staying at an eerie hotel with an unsettling owner, and a haunted-looking house overlooking the establishment. After she doesn’t return home for a considerable amount of time, her lover and her sister come to investigate the hotel and the nefarious events that have occurred there. This movie redefined the perception of women in cinema, is considered to this day to be one of the most suspenseful and horrifying thrillers and introduced one of the most iconic villains in horror history.
“Vertigo”
After San Francisco policeman John “Scottie” Ferguson witnesses his coworker fall to his death, he is stricken with a crippling fear of heights that forces him into retirement. After being told that witnessing an equally traumatic event would counteract his new fear, Scottie is sent on a disorienting and tormenting mission that relates to his wife, paranormal possession, and shadowy figures. Aside from being completely mind-boggling, the ending of this movie has also left audiences in awe for years and will go down in history as one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
“Rear Window”
L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries is a photographer who has been housebound due to an injured leg. From his wheelchair, he has a view of the courtyard outside his apartment complex, and into the windows of the apartments across the street. After suspecting that a resident of one of the apartments has committed a murder, Jeff and his girlfriend investigate the occurrence, possibly to the detriment of their own safety. “Rear Window” is possibly Hitchcock's most suspenseful film and contains one of the most brilliantly fleshed-out plots and well-developed characters of any of his movies.
“North by Northwest”
After advertising executive Roger Thornhill is mistaken for an enemy of a prominent New York City thug group, he has to flee from the life he knows in order to protect himself and figure out how to fight against the heinous actions of the group he has been running from. Along the way, he falls into cahoots with Eve Kendall, despite noticing her suspicious motives throughout the course of their relationship. “North by Northwest” is the most action-heavy of Hitchcock’s movies, and this deviation from his usual formula paid off to create some of the most exciting movies in his repertoire.
“The Birds”
When a young woman named Melanie Daniels follows Mitch Brenner, a man she randomly met in a pet store, to his hometown, her arrival is accompanied by a sudden streak of hostility in the local birds. As Melanie gets to know more people around the town and grows closer to Mitch, the birds increase in number, and in dangerous behavior. “The Birds” redefined many aspects of horror cinema, both in terms of screenwriting and film technique, and it is a necessary addition to any Hitchcock marathon watchlist.
