Alfred Hitchcock is in a rare category of director where not only are his movies pretty enjoyable to watch, just on face value, but they’re also technically incredible and can teach you quite a bit about storytelling.
His best works stay with you long after you’re done watching them. Even if you aren’t an aspiring storyteller, there’s so much value to glean from watching Hitchcock.
As someone who loves watching horror movies, watching his films can help you develop a deeper appreciation for your favorites and any new movies you see going forward.
This is true of movies overall but there it is especially true of horror. He was a master of building suspense and scaring without shock, awe, and gore.
The beauty of most Hitchcock films is that they very rarely fit into one genre. They are simply great stories— some of which are utterly terrifying.
These seven titles are the essential Alfred Hitchcock movies to watch for modern horror lovers.
Pyscho (1960)
I put Psycho first because it is the most pure horror title in Hitchcock’s filmography. This is essential viewing for anyone interested in the genre.
Watching Psycho one time you will immediately recognize the influence it had on many modern movies. This film is a master at show, don’t tell. Taking it a step further, it shows without showing, putting you in suspense before you even know why.
Anthony Perkins' portrayal of Norman Bates wrote the book on the charming serial killer. We first meet him as a friendly and accommodating hotel owner.
In subtle bits of dialogue and body language, he exhibits what would be seen as red flags today. His performance lets the audience know there’s something deeper going on beneath the surface.
Vertigo (1958)
If Vertigo was made today it certainly would have been called Gaslighting. It does a perfect job at slowly plunging the audience, through the eyes of its protagonist, info madness.
As Scottie questions his own sanity more and more, so does the audience. James Stewart and Kim Novak give two of the best acting performances you’ll ever see here.
While Vertigo isn’t a horror movie in the slasher or paranormal sense, it far exceeds the thriller label it’s given. The way it pours grease onto the audience’s grip on reality is terrifying, making this a mental version of what we now know as body horror.
Vertigo is a brain horror that will shake you to your core and have you fearing for your sanity long after the credits roll.
The Birds (1963)
The Birds is a horror movie that is mostly unsettling due to its lack of explanation. Things take an insane turn for the worst and simply get weirder.
What I took away from this film is the resounding fear that comes with everyday things we take for granted as “safe” suddenly becoming dangerous and terrifying.
This happens to come in the form of maniacal birds in this movie but after watching you’ll start coming up with new things to be afraid of.
North by Northwest (1959)
The type of horror that Alfred Hitchcock makes you feel can most accurately be described as stress. Oddly enough, North by Northwest is his closest movie to The Birds, even if you wouldn’t call it horror.
In this film it is the government turning on you inexplicably instead of wild animals. Both movies strike a sinister type of dread into your heart.
Much like modern horror protagonists, Cary Grant’s character is a normal guy thrown into a terrifying situation where there is seemingly no way out. He is mistaken by an agent for a foreign spy and must go on the run.
Grant trying to evade his would-be captors is a textbook final girl running from a villain. It is no different than Laurie Strode fleeing Michael Myers.
Lifeboat (1944)
An underrated skill of Hitchcock is his ability to show us how many different ways there are for us to be afraid.
Lifeboat is a claustrophobic experience ironically set in the most spacious place on earth: The open ocean. This movie features a collection of soldiers, a reporter, a Nazi, and others stuck on a lifeboat after a warship was sunk.
It’s a sinister experience because not only is the prospect of dying via dehydration, drowning, or shark looming the entire time, they are also stranded with a Nazi and several hotheads from the United States military. Even in a life-or-death situation, the cast of characters stranded on this boat have a hard time setting aside their egos to increase their chances of survival.
It’s as scary as any horror movie because that aspect can be seen as a metaphor for quite a few situations we find ourselves in now.
Rope (1948)
Admittedly, Rope is a movie that asks you to suspend disbelief in regards to the plot itself. However, it features a totally unique type of fear and anxiety from Hitchcock’s other films.
The type of fear and anxiety that is self induced and merges insult and injury, due to it being your fault. Two men in New York City decide to murder their friend because they feel superior to him, which is a pretty crazy premise that I won’t be unpacking here.
Rope would be the Hitchcock movie I’d most recommend to fans of Edgar Allen Poe. This is a modern Tell-Tale Heart with a dash of ego and stupidity.
It's a confusing and anxious experience because technically you shouldn’t be rooting for Brandon and Philip to get away with what they did, but this movie lives on the line of getting caught so thoroughly that the titular heartbeat from Tell Tale Heart is actually your own.
Rebecca (1940)
Just when you think Hitchcock is out of ways to unsettle you he finds yet another tool: Our own insecurities about ourselves and the tension of former lovers.
Rebecca is the story of a shy woman, who falls in love with and marries a wealthy aristocrat just a year after the death of his wife. After moving to his estate she realizes the deceased ex is not completely out of the picture.
Even prior to the discovery of the dead wife’s ghost, Hitchcock perfectly plays on the feeling of overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and personal insecurities so well that the ghost angle might not have even been necessary.
However, it just takes the whole thing to chilling heights. This is not a movie I’d recommend watching unless you are at a pretty good place in life. That’s good advice for most Hitchcock movies but especially Rebecca.
These are not necessarily his best seven movies or my favorite seven, but they do an excellent job of giving you the full Alfred Hitchcock experience while also scratching the horror itch.
Filmmakers, storytellers, and even just fans of cinema can learn so much from the way he approaches these films.
