As a master of suspense, it’s no surprise that Alfred Hitchcock is behind some phenomenal horror films, perfect for Halloween. The iconic English director is known as one of the greatest minds to ever be behind the camera, especially when it comes to his terrifying thrillers. From Alfred Hitchcock’s murder mysteries to his more straightforward horror films, the man’s filmography is a perfect library to draw on during spooky season.
Admittedly, by modern standards, Alfred Hitchcock’s work can sometimes seem quite tame, extremely terrifying at the time of its release, but noticeably aged. Still, his scariest films offer some level of creep factor, slow-burn dread, and, most of all, suspense that makes them worth watching to this day. With a whole circle of visibly frightening films, Alfred Hitchcock forever changed cinema with his unique sensitivity to fear and tension.
10
Vertigo
1958
A surreal masterpiece, Vertigo It’s the perfect choice for a more daring Halloween celebration. The film portrays a man’s obsession with a woman he was hired to spy on, doing everything he can to stop her from taking her own life. The only problem is the protagonist’s fear of heights, which Hitchcock manages to convey with some of the first examples of cinematographic techniques still widely used today.
In fact, Vertigo lives up to its name with some dizzying sequences using gravity, quite potent for viewers who suffer from acrophobia. With a brilliant color palette and recurring visuals, Vertigo is a hypnotic thriller sure to leave even the most cynical of modern viewers entranced. Sprinkle in Bernard Herrmann’s eerie soundtrack and San Francisco’s rolling scenery, and Vertigo is a reliable object of idolatry for the Halloween season.
9
Psychopath
1960
The most famous and possibly most terrifying of Alfred Hitchcock’s works is easily the 1960s. Psychopath, the original horror film that continues to influence horror films even 60 years after its release. The film revolves around the Bates Motel, a seemingly normal inn that becomes the subject of investigation when a young woman disappears there. Soon, suspicions are raised against the sole owner, Norman Bates, who harbors a horrible secret.
PsychopathAnnie’s influence on pop culture is deserved, as is its status as one of the most revered horror films of all time. From the infamous shower scene to Norman’s haunting face that ends the film, Alfred Hitchcock was able to harness his aptitude for paranoia and psychology to great effect, extracting screams from simple chocolate syrup. Even today, it’s difficult not to feel anxious in the shower after giving Psychopath a well-deserved re-watch.
8
Strangers on a train
1951
Another of Hitchcock’s strange stories that obsesses with the idea of ​​an unsolvable murder, Strangers on a train is a frighteningly delicious descent into madness. The narrative begins with two strangers striking up a conversation in a chance meeting on a train, only to discover that they both have someone without whom their lives would be much easier. In a cruel act of crime, the two agree to murder each other’s tormentors so that it becomes impossible to establish a motive, only for things to quickly go off the rails.
Strangers on a train It deftly plays with morality and trust, with its two strangers arcing in very different directions on the scale of good and evil. The result is one of Hitchcock’s most fantastic and charismatic villains, who does anything to get what he wants. The visual language displayed is also quite masterful here, obsessed with the concept of “cross” images that represent the chance meeting of the two protagonists.
7
String
1948
A unique horror film, String is one of Hitchcock’s most ambitious and daring experiments that nevertheless manages to fray the audience’s nerves through sheer tension. The story takes place entirely in a cramped New York apartment, unfolding in real time. When two “close roommates” commit a heinous act of murder and stuff their victim’s corpse into a wooden chest, they have to make it through a normal dinner party before any of the guests realize the atrocity they have just committed.
StringThe editing gives it an exceptionally gripping quality, with tortuously long takes that allow the tension to slowly reach a boiling point as the smoking gun of a wooden chest looms in the foreground. The editing techniques aren’t the film’s only innovative element, with co-conspirators Phillip and Brandon hinting that they would be more than friends as much as Hitchcock’s time would allow. A deliciously ironic story of murder and deceit, String is a great testament to Hitchcock’s horror cinematic talent.
6
Rear window
1954
Perhaps Hitchcock’s greatest collaboration with longtime favorite James Stewart Rear window is a horrific journey into voyeurism that almost seems to question its very existence. The plot revolves around a man confined to a wheelchair after an injury, who faces the boredom of being trapped in his house spying on his neighbors with a long-lens camera. When he accidentally witnesses a grisly murder, he is suddenly thrust into a dangerous world in which he must admit his own mistakes to prevent even worse disasters.
Hitchcock skillfully uses Rear windowThe protagonist is a self-insert for the audience, raising questions about what pleasure one can derive from watching stories as dark as this one unfold. This makes it even scarier when the killer finally detects Jeff’s interference, nearly breaking the fourth wall as he looks down the barrel of the camera and straight into the viewer’s soul. Because of its atmosphere and tension, Rear window is a murder story you won’t want to miss before this past Halloween season.
5
The birds
1963
Probably Hitchcock’s second best-known film The birds is a bit of an outlier in his filmography, ditching his traditional fascination with human madness and murder in favor of the wrath of nature. Here, the iconic Tippi Hedren stars as Melanie, a young socialite searching for love amid the fallout of a joke gone wrong. On a trip to a small town, she finds herself caught up in a horrific situation as the local bird population goes crazy, violently attacking every human in sight.
The escalation of danger in The birds It’s easy to appreciate, from a single seagull that gets tangled in Melanie’s hair to entire swarms that envelop the entire county. Even though some of the practical effects are quite extravagant by modern standards, the chaos, panic and terror inflicted by the avian menace are still quite potent. Add the sinister ending of The birds, and the film remains a horror staple long past its sell-by date.
4
Frenzy
1972
Hitchcock’s penultimate film, Frenzy proves that the director was still an innovative horror storyteller in the later stages of his career. Much more of a simple horror story compared to the usual shroud of mystery that covers Hitchcock’s films, Frenzy follows the trail of carnage left by a serial killer who likes to kill women by strangling them with ties. When a former soldier’s wife becomes one of the killer’s victims, he is forced to investigate to clear his own name.
Compared to the rest of Hitchcock’s filmography Frenzy it’s overtly brutal, making it all the more suitable for Halloween movie nights. In the same way as rear window, The media frenzy spurred by the Tie Killer’s actions raises uncomfortable questions for Hitchcock’s own audience, making the film at once a perverse treat for the nerves and a cerebral dissection of morbid fascination. A classic serial killer hunt, Frenzy is a great choice for a more traditional horror film under the Hitchcock banner.
3
Dial M for murder
1954
An incredible performance from legendary actress Grace Kelly, Dial M for murder may be the archetypal Hitchcock film. Kelly stars as a woman whose husband secretly plans her murder behind her back, insidiously maneuvering to kill her the second he leaves the house in order to establish an alibi. After the plan fails, he is forced to improvise a new plan: frame her for the murder of the assassin he sent.
The present tension Dial M for murder is one of Hitchcock’s best, with the smarmy killer gliding silently in the background while Grace Kelly is oblivious. The film also establishes many classic tropes used in other Hitchcock films, including adultery, financial motivations, and the idea of ​​the “perfect crime”. The palpable dramatic irony creates an alarming, anxiety-filled ride that is sure to get the adrenaline pumping.
2
Shadow of a Doubt
1943
One of Hitchcock’s most underrated pictures, Shadow of a Doubt it encourages some more sacred subject matter than is typical of his other films. The film begins brilliantly, following a young girl named Charlie, whose uncle, after whom she is named, comes to visit from the big city. But before long, Charlie begins to suspect that his cheerful family member may be harboring a dark secret, possibly even being a murderer.
As Charlie becomes increasingly suspicious of his once-idolized family member, he becomes more desperate to calm his fears, only becoming more suspicious. Eventually, the affable uncle turns on Charlie when he realizes she knows too much, presenting a darker, more realistic enemy than the rest of Hitchcock’s villains. While you’ll probably never encounter a Norman Bates or be attacked by a swarm of birds, an Uncle Charlie could easily haunt someone’s real life, making it a particularly chilling option for Halloween.
1
Rebecca
1940
Hitchcock wasn’t exactly someone who reveled in the supernatural in most cases, but Rebecca It’s the closest he’s come to a movie ghost with scares from beyond the grave. The plot concerns a widower’s new bride who struggles to take the place of the woman before him by moving into her husband’s impressive but empty mansion. Tormented by the mansion’s housekeeper, the young woman does everything she can to avoid being informed of the mysterious circumstances behind her predecessor’s death.
The brilliant drama of Rebecca adapts well to Hitchcock’s understanding of the human condition, with brilliant performances throughout. From the mysterious mystery behind Rebecca’s death to the frightening subject matter, Rebecca is the perfect macabre tale for the Halloween season. As far as Hitchcock movies go, it’s hard to get scarier than the haunted corpse of an ex-lover that drives the narrative.