When it comes to films in the thriller and suspense genres, Alfred Hitchcock is the undisputed master. His works were highly influential on those who came after, and he invented many of the techniques currently used in films today. Hitch directed over 50 feature motion pictures during his six decade career, and his work behind the camera stretched back to the silent film era. If you’re unfamiliar with his genius, check out this list of top 10 Alfred Hitchcock movies.
10. The Lady Vanishes – Made in 1938, this thriller is one of the last Hitchcock films to be made in the UK. A young woman befriends a governess, only to later find the woman missing and everyone around her denying her existence.
9. Rebecca – The winner of an Academy Award for Best Picture, Rebecca tells the story of a young woman who marries a wealthy widower and moves into his estate. But the memory of his first wife, Rebecca, looms large, and both the husband and the house’s servants have a hard time letting go.
8. To Catch a Thief – Cary Grant is a retired cat burglar who’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Old school romance and excitement with Grace Kelly, Brigitte Auber and Jessie Royce Landis.
7. Vertigo – A top-notch psychological thriller starring James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes. A police detective develops an intense fear of heights and retires from the force following the death of a fellow officer. But he’s drawn back into danger when he’s hired to follow a woman and figure out her recently bizarre behavior.
6. Shadow of a Doubt – Made in 1943, this thriller stars Joseph Cotton, Teresa Wright, Hume Cronyn and MacDonald Carey. A bored teenage girl is happy upon the arrival of her uncle, until she realizes that he’s actually a serial killer who preys on rich widows. David Mamet has referred to this as Hitchcock’s greatest film.
5. North by Northwest – Cary Grant gets chased by a crop duster and battles Martin Landau on top of Mount Rushmore. Also starring Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Leo G. Carroll.
4. The Birds – Normally peaceful birds go berserk and attack the residents of a small town near San Francisco. The 1963 film stars Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright, and Suzanne Pleshette.
3. Strangers on a Train – Two strangers meet on a train, and they discuss a plan whereby one murders the other’s unfaithful wife in exchange for the murder of their controlling father. The tennis star who brings up the plan was just joking, but the psycho he talks to takes it all too seriously. Crisscross. Later became the basis for the comedy Throw Momma from the Train.
2. Rear Window – James Stewart is wheelchair-bound after breaking is leg, and he spends much of his time spying on his neighbors from his rear window. Things heat up when he witnesses one neighbor (played by Raymond Burr) murder his wife. Grace Kelly looks simply amazing in this film, and it’s widely considered one of Hitchcock’s greatest works.
1. Psycho – A deranged young man murders unlucky guests at his out-of-the-way hotel. The shower murder is one of the greatest scenes in movie history, and Anthony Perkins was known as Norman Bates for the rest of his career. Also stars Janet Leigh and Martin Balsam. Inspired by the murders of serial killer Ed Gein.
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