It’s true thatAlfred Hitchcockwas behind many of the very best classic thrillers, but this famed filmmaker was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to edge-of-your-seat stories of mystery and suspense. Thebest Hitchcock thrillersinclude classics likeStrangers on a Train,Rear Window, andVertigo, yet it’s important not to forget about the other outstanding directors who have made similarly nail-bitingly intense films.
Whether it was shockingblack-and-white stories,all-time great film noirs, or darkly hilarious black comedies, the thriller genre encompasses many different styles of moviemaking. Some classic thrillers have endured so well in the public consciousness that they’ve actually coined everyday terms that are still in common use today. Whilethe thriller genre remains as popular as ever, Alfred Hitchcock fans looking for something new to check out should familiarize themselves with these fantastic releases from times gone by.
Few classic thrillers have had more enduring cultural relevance thanGaslight, the psychological thriller whose 1938 play was actually where the term ‘gaslighting’ comes from in the first place. With a first-rate performance from Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist Anton,Gaslightsaw this young woman being subtly manipulated by her husband into believing that she’s going insane. With a surprisingly dark story for a 1940s thriller, Bergman managed to capture the deep mental anguish of a woman questioning her own sanity.
The paranoia and confusion ofGaslightstood in stark contrast to the wholesome depiction of marriage in most productions from this era. As the story of a woman trapped in a domestic nightmare,Gaslighthighlighted the way that women could be undermined and controlled within the societal construct that was supposed to offer them security. Bergman’s performance was so impressive that she even earned the Oscar for Best Actress for her role inGaslight.
While the average viewer might think of Obi-Wan Kenobi inStar Warswhen they hear the name Alec Guinness, those with a love for old Ealing comedies will think of the outrageous comedic thrillerThe Ladykillers. As a hilarious farce that has not lost any of its power 70 years later, Guinness played Professor Marcus, the sinister criminal who rented a room from an eccentric elderly woman under the guise of practicing classical music.
However, what the old lady didn’t realize was that Marcus was plotting an ingenious heist, and she would unwittingly become associated with a crime of epic proportions. As a slow-burn thriller that was peppered with some hilarious comedy,The Ladykillerswas packed with oddball charactersand a unique sense of charm. While modern viewers may know the Coen brothers’ 2004 remake with Tom Hanks, the original still stands supreme.
Cape Fearwas one of the most intense psychological thrillers of the 1960s, as it blended the stylish aesthetic of film noirs with a truly terrifying story of a deranged killer. Although Martin Scorsese made an excellent remake in the 1990s with Robert De Niro as the murderous Max Cady,Robert Mitchum’s outstanding performance in the original was still the definitive version of this character. This story involved a deranged ex-convict attempting to enact his revenge against the attorney (Gregory Peck), whom he deemed responsible for his imprisonment.
There was a darkness toCape Fearthat made it stand out, and its implied hints of a history of aggressive sexual assault from Cady made him a villain the likes of which audiences at the time seldom encountered. Mitchum has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the best actors of all time, and this was in no small part due to roles such asCape Fear.
Longtime Hollywood rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford channeled their intense feud with one another to play embittered siblings inWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane?This intense psychological thriller tells the story of a jealous sister and the resentment she carried for decades on end. With Davis as the former child star Jane Hudson and Crawford as the wheelchair-bound Blanche, there was a terrifying sense of darkness to this unique domestic story.
As two of the biggest stars of their era,it was exciting to see Davis and Crawford share the screenas two older women with a wealth of Hollywood history behind them. The way Davis played up the campy grotesqueness of Jane, who succumbed to years of alcoholism and deep-festering resentment, was a masterclass in commitment. The background behindWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane?was so interesting in and of itself that it served as the basis for Ryan Murphy’s 2017 miniseriesFeud.
Hollywood iconHumphrey Bogart may be best known for iconic roles inCasablancaandThe Maltese Falcon, although his most unnerving performance came withIn a Lonely Place. As the troubled screenwriter Dixon Steele, Bogart tapped into his dark side to play a troubled and controlling man who becomes worryingly obsessed with the gorgeous young woman Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame.)
As the romance between Dixon and Laurel starts to deepen, the darkness behind his twisted psychological state starts to come to the forefront. With themes of domestic violence and fragile masculinity,In a Lonely Placewas a powerful thriller that perfectly adapted the original novel by Dorothy B. Hughes. While viewers swooned over Bogart in other romance pictures,In a Lonely Placeshowcased his darker, more sinister side.
As a blend of comedy, film noir, and nail-biting thriller,Witness for the Prosecutionwas a legal mystery that hooked viewers from start to finish. As a tense courtroom drama about a barrister defending his client in a murder trial, one shocking surprise after another made for truly edge-of-your-seat viewing. Coming from filmmaking extraordinaire Billy Wilder,Witness for the Prosecutionwas nominated for an outstanding seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
With an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes,Witness for the Prosecutionpowerfully adapted the original short story and play by Agatha Christie and stands alongside the likes ofMurder on the Orient Expressas some of her best work. With a wife testifying in court against her own husband,Witness for the Prosecutionwas so exciting that a voiceover announcement at the end of the film asked audience members to promise not to reveal its twist to anyone.
Double Indemnitywas one of the most acclaimed films of the classic Hollywood era and an outstanding film noir from director Billy Wilder. As the perfect blend of dark crime story and intense thriller,Double Indemnitytells the story of an insurance salesman plotting with a woman to kill her husband. The idea behind this murderous plan was to take the payout for themselves and take advantage of a legal loophole.
Not only hasDouble Indemnitybeen remembered as an all-time great film noir, but many would rank it among the best movies ever made. The exploration of dark themes related to insurance fraud and complex character motivations meantDouble Indemnityearned seven nominations at the Academy Awardsand boasts an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes today.
The Third Manhas earned its reputation as one of the greatest British movies of all time, as it remains as captivating today as it was back in 1949. Coming from director Carol Reed and with a screenplay by the novelist Graham Greene, a German expressionist influence was noticeable in its effective black and white cinematography. WithOrson Welles counted among its cast, the exquisite use of lighting, camera angles, and effective music made for thrilling viewing.
Joseph Cotten played Holly Martins, who wishes to learn the truth after their friend Harry Lime (Welles) mysteriously dies. However, on a trip to Vienna, Cotten is shocked to witness his friend alive and well and sets out to uncover the truth of this deception. As a masterpiece of its era,The Third Manperfectly captured the troubled atmosphere of post-WWII Europe as well as the cynicism at the beginning of the Cold War.
While Alfred Hitchcock is known as the master of suspense, even he would be jealous of the nail-biting intensity ofThe Wages of Fear. As the story of four down-on-their-luck Europeans hired by an American company to drive trucks filled with nitroglycerin needed to extinguish an oil well fire, the stakes were incredibly high as the men put their lives on the line. As a hugely influential movie that informed modern releases like Christopher Nolan’sDunkirk,The Wages of Fearstands as director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s magnum opus.
As a highly original and shocking French melodrama,The Wages of Fearwas a shocking display of disenfranchised men’s lowly place in modern society. As much a social critique as it was an edge-of-your-seat narrative,The Wages of Fearwas a clever thriller that actually had something interesting to say.
While Alfred Hitchcock may be remembered as the king of thrillers, this story could have been different had Charles Laughton not been forced to end his filmmaking career due to the failure of his lone feature film,The Night of the Hunter. As an intense black-and-white thriller that was misunderstood and rejected by audiences at the time, today it stands as one of the most intense and acclaimed films of its era. StarringRobert Mitchum as a cunning serial killer pursuing two children to steal $10,000from their late father, his role as preacher Harry Powell was truly iconic.
The Night of the Hunterwas a masterpiece of the thriller genre that was an early example of the kind of transgressive cinema that would become popular in Hollywood during the 1970s. As a movie just a few decades ahead of its time, looking back, it’s clear that Mitchum gave one of the most unnerving and eerie performances of the decade.The Night of the Hunterwas a trailblazing movie that nobody recognized at the time, and fans ofAlfred Hitchcock’sdark thrillers should do themselves a favor and check it out.
