Alfred Hitchcock is one of the all-time great auteur filmmakers. His films can be explained in the simplest of terms: You know it when you see it. Over 55 years, Alfred Hitchcock directed dozens upon dozens of films, some of which have joined the pantheon of the greatest movies in cinema history. In this article, we’re going to rank the 30 best Alfred Hitchcock movies based on these four criteria: legacy, suspense, filmmaking, and story.
Watch: How Hitchcock Directs Long Takes in Rope
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Alfred Hitchcock Movies
30. The Lodger (1927)
The Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Started With The Lodger
Although Hitchcock directed several feature films in the mid 1920s, it wasn’t until the release of The Lodger in 1927 that he caught his big break. It bears many of the more recognizable "Hitchcockian" traits he would be known for — murder, suspense, mistaken identity, and a pre-occupation with blondes.
The Lodger is a suspense-thriller that’s largely inspired by the serial killings of Jack the Ripper and stars Ivor Novello in the title role. Hitchcock's love of "pure cinema" — storytelling with images alone — is on full display here and you won't miss the dialogue one bit.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Lodger is a silent-era Hitchcock thriller about a serial killer on the loose. It is a must-see for any Hitchcock fan.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
29. Stage Fright (1950)
Stage Fright • One of the best Hitchcock films you might not have heard of
Stage Fright is one of Hitchcock’s early “amateur detective” stories, in which a young or unsuspecting woman has to unravel a troublesome mystery. In this picture, that woman is Eve (Jane Wyman) who must discover the true identity of a reckless murderer. It also co-stars the inimitable Marlene Dietrich doing that sultry thing that few other actresses ever did.
After his experiments with long takes in Rope and Under Capricorn, Hitchcock throws in a couple more here that are worth studying. You might not find Stage Fright on your typical list of Alfred Hitchcock movies worth watching but this one shouldn't be ignored.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Stage Fright is a fun, yet ultimately minor work from Alfred Hitchcock.
Best Hitchcock Films
28. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)
The Man Who Knew Too Much — Restoration Demo
Alfred Hitchock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much is a fascinating thriller that largely established the director’s affinity for the international espionage trope.
The film stars Leslie Banks, Edna Best, and Peter Lorre, who had only recently left Germany before production. Lorre, perhaps best known for starring in Fritz Lang’s M, didn’t even know the English language before being cast in the role of the dastardly villain Abbot.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Alfred Hitchcock remade The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1956 with James Stewart and Doris Day, but the original remains the best version, especially in light of the new Criterion restoration.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
27. Saboteur (1942)
Saboteur • Alfred Hitchcock movies you have to see
Hitchcock’s early tale of mistaken identity, Saboteur, is another foundational piece in his filmography. There’s no doubt that Saboteur would go on to inspire some of Hitchock’s most iconic works.
The film follows a man named Kane (Robert Cummings) who is on the run from the police after being framed for a deadly fire.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Though it’s been lost within the plethora of Hitchock’s other stories about mistaken identity, Saboteur remains a mostly fun spy thriller.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
26. The Trouble with Harry (1955)
Watch The Trouble with Harry in full • Dark comedy in Alfred Hitchcock movies
The Trouble with Harry doesn’t quite seem like an Alfred Hitchcock film: It isn’t all that suspenseful, the setting isn’t busy, and the story is unusually quaint. The tone is actually kinda light and acts more like a black comedy than the typical just about everything else in the Hitchcock filmography.
That said, The Trouble with Harry succeeds because it stands apart from the rest of Hitchcock’s works. The best part of the film may very well be Bernard Herrmann’s score, which was the first time he composed for Hitchcock but it wouldn't be the last.
Herrmann put his signature touch on many of the best Hitchcock movies including Vertigo, North by Northwest, and, of course, those nerve-racking staccato strings in Psycho.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Trouble with Harry is like a classic landscape painting: It’s great to look at on the surface, but lacks substance in the background.
Best Hitchcock Films
25. I Confess (1953)
I Confess • When Alfred Hitchcock movies meet Method acting
I Confess is definitely one of the most dramatic and consequential of Hitchcock’s pictures. Released between Strangers on a Train and Dial M for Murder, I Confess has been somewhat lost to time.
The film stars Montgomery Clift in the leading role as a priest who’s wrongly suspected of murder. Clift was on one of the first Method actors and he brought a new level of depth and characterization to the table. I Confess puts the ethics of privacy of the church on the stand, which ultimately results in showing the oath of silence in a new light.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
I Confess is a good film that’s held back by melodrama and unbelievable circumstances.
Best Hitchcock Movies Ranked
24. Marnie (1964)
One of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies with a complicated legacy
Just one year after the release of The Birds, Hitchcock released Marnie, his second collaboration with star Tippi Hedren. Marnie is a rather heavy-drama about trauma in the wake of sexual abuse.
Hedren never worked with Hitchcock again after the release of Marnie, citing the director’s obsessive infatuation with her as the main reason. In her later years, Hedren accused Hitchcock of making obscene sexual demands of her, which he strongly denied.
These accusations have surely complicated the legacy of Marnie, due to its illicit subject matter. But it still ranks as one of the best Hitchcock movies.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Marnie is known as one of Hitchcock’s more contentious pictures, but Bernard Hermann’s excellent score alone makes it worth seeing.
Best Hitchcock Films
23. The Wrong Man (1957)
The Wrong Man • One of the most underrated Alfred Hitchcock movies
The Wrong Man represents a mid-stage reflection for Alfred Hitchcock, as the director analyzed the nature of crime under a modern, more dramatic light. This film is based on a true story of a man falsely accused of robberies throughout New York City in the early 1950s.
Perhaps the most dominant theme in the best Hitchcock movies is to introduce chaos into an innocent's life. This usually manifests as a case of mistaken identity which is exactly what happens to Manny (Henry Fonda). If you want to understand Alfred Hitchcock movies in a nutshell, The Wrong Man is it.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Wrong Man is one of the great Hollywood “wrongful conviction films” and one of Hitchcock’s more unique works.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
22. The 39 Steps (1935)
The 39 Steps • One of the best Hitchcock movies and a template for the spy genre
Few films of the 1930s and 1940s were as influential on writers of the “Hollywood New Wave” as The 39 Steps was. In an interview with The New Yorker, renowned screenwriter Robert Towne said, “It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that all contemporary escapist entertainment begins with The 39 Steps.”
I’ll admit, I’m not quite as fond of the movie as Towne is, but his assertion that the film was a foundational piece of escapist cinema is undeniable. And it was the birthplace of the MacGuffin.
Twenty-four years before there was North by Northwest, and 53 before Enemy of the State, there was The 39 Steps, a film that has inspired countless stories of wrongfully convicted people on the run.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The 39 Steps is a film that every director should see, regardless of how it has aged in the past 85 years.
Best Hitchcock Films
21. Family Plot (1976)
Family Plot is an outlier in Alfred Hitchcock movies because it's much less "Hitchcockian"
First and foremost: Can we please acknowledge the trailer above? Alfred Hitchcock was widely known to not only cameo in his own films, but narrate their trailers as well.
That being said, the Family Plot trailer is beyond absurd — and not in a bad way. Actually, quite the contrary, it’s a kind of comic masterpiece.
Family Plot was the last film Hitchcock made before his death, and although it’s not his greatest work, it still boasts a fun, albeit ludicrous story with classic elements of suspense, drama, and dark comedy.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Family Plot is “middle of the road Hitchcock” that sees the director’s lighter side break through in his twilight years.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
20. Frenzy (1972)
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked • Hitchcock on Frenzy
Frenzy was not only one of Hitchcock’s last films ever made, but also a return to England for the director. Most of the film’s cast was unknown at the time of production, which was atypical for a Hitchcock picture (most of his works feature at least one star).
Despite being unoriginal to a fault, Frenzy stands apart for its clear, purposeful narrative and impressive cinematography. It's also the most graphic in the Hitchcock filmography — the murder and sadism that was more implicit in his earlier work becomes more explicit here.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Frenzy is yet another Hitchcock tale of mistaken identity and murder — one elevated by great visuals and a strong story arc.
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Best Hitchcock Films
19. The Paradine Case (1947)
The Paradine Case • Alfred Hitchcock movies go to court
Courtroom dramas weren’t widely popularized until the late 1950s, with the likes of 12 Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind and many more. But that didn’t stop Hitchcock from directing the influential The Paradine Case 10 years prior.
The Paradine Case is a story about a lawyer who falls in love with his client that was accused of murder. In a rare turn for Hitchcock, we don’t know whether or not the accused woman is guilty or not. It’s refreshing to see a Hitchcock picture that doesn’t have a wrongful suspicion or “wrong-man” plot.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Paradine Case received mixed reviews from fans and critics for lacking dynamic interest, but its influence and ending make it a strong Hitchcock picture that’s worth a watch.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
18. Lifeboat (1944)
Lifeboat • Another experimental entry in the Hitchcock filmography
Lifeboat is a brilliant minor work from Hitchcock, produced in the midst of World War II. The film takes place entirely on a lifeboat, and was shot mostly at the studio lot with a fake ocean and rear projection. It’s certainly not an epic by studio standards, but it makes the most of what it’s got — which, as it turns out, happens to be a great deal.
The plot here is almost non-existent, which is rare for Hitch. Instead we have a rich character study and sociological experiment. What happens when British and American survivors of a German U-boat attack bring a German sailor onto their lifeboat? It's another rather subversive film from Mr. Hitchcock, especially considering this is a studio film made at the height of WWII.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Lifeboat is a story of mercy across the seas, told and released in a very troubling time.
Best Hitchcock Films
17. Young and Innocent (1939)
This crane shot alone earns a spot on any best list of Alfred Hitchcock movies
Young and Innocent is a by-the-book story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, elevated by narrative nuance and excellent filmmaking. The film stars Nova Pilbeam as a well-intentioned young woman who’s caught in the middle of a murder case. Pilbeam gives an excellent performance, which ties together the picture quite nicely.
The infamous crane shot (above) is proof that Hitchcock was always pushing what was possible in filmmaking. It starts as an extreme wide shot and narrows down all the way to an extreme close-up. The unfortunate blackface performers aside, this shot is a technical achievement and a masterful way to lure the audience in to make sure they see what you want them to see.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Young and Innocent is perhaps best known for the excellent crane shot used in the film’s climax.
Alfred Hitchcock Filmography
16. Spellbound (1945)
A list of best Hitchcock movies has to include Spellbound • Watch the entire film
Spellbound is a twisting and turning suspense thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that nearly reaches the heights of his greatest works. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck star in the film and both give excellent performances.
The picture’s progressive story follows a psychoanalyst who must use her intelligence and training to deduce the psyche of a killer. It’s a fantastical film, marred only by poor pacing and some rare filmmaking blunders from director Alfred Hitchcock. But don't forget the Surrealist dream sequence courtesy of the one and only Salvador Dalí!
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Spellbound may be best known for the dream sequence conceived by Salvador Dali, but there’s plenty more going on in the story to make it a worthwhile watch.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
15. Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Alfred Hitchcock on Foreign Correspondent
Foreign Correspondent is a classic Hitchcock tale of espionage that stands apart for its timely social commentary. Released in 1940, Foreign Correspondent was a cinematic response to the tension of World War II, which American had not entered yet. The film's final scene is cleared intended to stoke concern in the public for the battle ahead.
There's a spectacular plane crash sequence that's not to be missed — make sure you watch the interview above where he discusses the ingenious way it was shot (around the 4:35 mark). It was rare for Mr. Hitchcock to comment on such real and meaningful goings-on in the world but he handled it with just as much aplomb as his usual fare.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Foreign Correspondent was just one of two Hitchcock movies nominated for Best Picture at the 1941 Oscars. The other was Rebecca.
Best Hitchcock Movies Ranked
14. Rope (1948)
Rope shows how the best Hitchcock movies are constantly pushing technique forward
Rope is widely known as the “one take” Alfred Hitchcock film, but in reality, it was actually a series of long takes cut together to seem continuous through elaborate camera tricks.
The story of Rope revolves around two young men who murder their friend, hide his body in a trunk in the living room, then host a dinner party with the deceased’s family and friends. They do this as a twisted philosophy experiment in which they hope to prove that they can get away with murder.
I’m not the first to suggest that Rope was better suited for the stage than it was for the screen, but the story is dynamic enough that it still entertains on screen.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Rope is perhaps more significant as a lesson in filmmaking than it is as a film, as pushing the envelope in a new direction doesn’t always make a picture better.
Best Hitchcock Films
13. To Catch a Thief (1955)
To Catch a Thief • When Alfred Hitchcock movies explode with star power
To Catch a Thief is a 1950s popcorn-picture that has just enough suspense to work through to the end. The film is carried, perhaps more than any other Hitchcock film, by its two lead actors: Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, who have great on-screen chemistry.
As you watch To Catch a Thief — especially if you’re a first-timer — note how many times Cary Grant’s character, Robie, is referred to as “The Cat.” It’s insane how widely the character is associated with his robber moniker — as if he’s some plunderous comic book villain whose superpower is stealing jewels across the French Riviera.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
To Catch a Thief is a classic Hitchcock picture, sans the drama that the majority of his catalogue is famous for.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
12. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Lady Vanishes • Yet another one of Alfred Hitchcock movies set on a train
The Lady Vanishes was one of the last pictures Hitchcock directed in Great Britain before relocating to Hollywood in 1939. It’s fitting, then, that the film would go on to inspire many of his later works, including Strangers on a Train.
It takes a little while for the plot of The Lady Vanishes to get going, but once it does, its freight train-like narrative never lets up. What starts as a benign story about people being snowed in at an overpacked inn morphs into an all-out international war thriller.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Lady Vanishes is a great mystery-thriller that roars with life once it gets going.
Best Hitchcock Films
11. The Birds (1963)
The Birds is one of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies, and for good reason
“Birds? Why would someone make a horror film about birds?” you might ask. I hate birds. Lots of people hate birds. That’s due to a phenomenon known as ornithophobia — the fear of birds — and Hitchcock understood better than anyone how to tap into it.
The Birds is one of Hitchcock’s most iconic works and it has inspired countless spoofs and parodies over the years. For as silly as a swarm of birds inexplicably attacking people may seem to some, the film speaks more broadly to base human fears about how fragile our sense of security in the world actually is. The delicate balance of our daily routines could unravel and disrupt our lives forever — a horrifying theme indeed.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
The Birds is a multi-layered horror from Hitchcock whose weighty themes cut beneath its story’s strange and frightening surface.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
10. Dial M for Murder (1954)
Martin Scorsese on Dial M for Murder • The only one of Alfred Hitchcock movies in 3D
A seminal title in Alfred Hitchcock’s canon, Dial M for Murder is a complex thriller with elaborate branching narratives. The film is based on a play of the same name that was written by Frederick Knott.
Dial M for for Murder’s enduring cinematic legacy rests upon the sophistication and strong resolution of its narrative. The principal cast, led by Ray Milland and Grace Kelly, carries the film with absorbing and wonderful performances. And you haven't truly seen the film until you've seen it in its native 3D presentation.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Dial M for Murder is a great stage story that’s solidly adapted to the silver screen by Alfred Hitchcock.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
9. Suspicion (1941)
Suspicion • Best Alfred Hitchcock movies ranked
Hitchcock turns a nighttime glass of milk into a thrilling narrative device in Suspicion. As the name of the film implies, suspicion abounds, right up until the credits roll.
In a film in which nothing is for certain, Cary Grant delivers a nuanced performance that keeps the audience guessing as to his true character. And Joan Fontaine rejoins Hitchcock as yet another innocent and vulnerable woman at the mercy of deceptive men. The milk scene is certainly iconic but you've got to see the entire film to put it all into context.
Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Ultimately, Suspicion proves to be one of the most engaging of Hitchcock’s early works.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Films
8. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Shadow of a Doubt • Of all the best Alfred Hitchcock movies, this was his favorite
Boy, Alfred Hitchcock sure does love crimes on trains. Gruesome train crime aside though, Shadow of a Doubt really is one of Hitchcock’s most well-rounded pictures.
Shadow of a Doubt has a strong narrative arc that doesn’t suffer from the pacing issues in some of his other pictures. Although not rare for a Hitchcock work, the film is anchored by excellent lead performances, especially from Joseph Cotten.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Alfred Hitchcock declared Shadow of a Doubt to be his favorite of the films he made on more than one occasion, which should speak volumes about its quality.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
7. Rear Window (1954)
One of the best Hitchcock films and a thrilling appeal to our voyeuristic sensibilities
It’s hard to find fault with the brilliant Rear Window. The film is undoubtedly one of the most iconic made during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and has inspired countless pictures, such as The Conversation and Disturbia.
Considering the time in which it was made, Rear Window’s forward-thinking story is perhaps its most notable element.
At the time, anyone labeled a voyeur was usually assumed to have psychological issues. But with the advent of technology and smartphones in particular, voyeurism has become normalized in mainstream culture.
We can all follow each others’ daily lives on the internet. The only difference between when Rear Window was released and now is that it’s easier for anyone being “watched” online to create idealized images of themselves.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Need an example of how to make the most of a single location on your next shoot? Look no further than Rear Window.
Hitchcock Movies Ranked
6. Rebecca (1940)
Rebecca • Making of one the best Hitchcock movies
Rebecca is one of Hitchcock’s great early works and it was his first project upon relocating to Hollywood. The film is full of suspense and intrigue, which invites the audience into an otherworldly setting where the truth seems as elusive as a white rabbit. This is Hitch's attempt at a Gothic melodrama and his film based on the Daphne du Maurier.
Joan Fontaine, who also collaborated with Hitchcock on Suspicion, steals the show as a well-intentioned wife embroiled in a dark, sinister environment.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Rebecca is the only Alfred Hitchcock film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s essential viewing for the auteur’s committed fans.
Top Alfred Hitchcock Movies
5. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock on Psycho
It’s a bit funny that of all the 50-plus films Hitchcock has made, Psycho is far and away the most iconic. Psycho is much more intimate than Hitchcock’s epics, and that intimacy is what brings the director’s attention into focus.
The sinister story of Psycho was a major spark plug for horror cinema, which would only continue to grow in the decades following the release of the film. It's hard to understate the mastery of the shower scene and how Hitch took a B-movie premise and it made it a work of art.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Anthony Perkins steals the show in Psycho as the maniacal slasher killer Norman Bates.
Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked
4. Strangers on a Train (1951)
Strangers on a Train • An absolute must-see in the Hitchcock filmography
Strangers on a Train is a surprisingly engrossing thriller. What begins as a simple encounter between — you guessed it — two strangers on a train becomes a cat-and-mouse game of murder and blackmail.
The film is probably most famous for a scene in which the two strangers have a deadly battle aboard a carousel moving at light speed. Jokes aside, Strangers on a Train is an undoubtedly thrilling movie from Alfred Hitchcock, even when delving into its dark subject matter.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Strangers on a Train is a classic suspense-thriller from Hitchcock and one of the most engrossing pictures that he ever made.
Hitchcock Movies Ranked
3. North by Northwest (1959)
Crop duster attack in North by Northwest
His most famous film about mistaken identity, North by Northwest, is also one of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies. The film stars his frequent star, Cary Grant as a man on the run from mysterious, yet deadly forces.
Although it’s sometimes held back by poor pacing, North by Northwest’s elaborate sets and epic scale make it one of the great big budget pictures of the 1950s. And even though the first thing people think about with this film is the iconic crop duster attack, there is so much more to appreciate.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
North by Northwest is escapist entertainment done right, with outstanding performances and vision to boot.
Hitchcock Movies Ranked
2. Notorious (1946)
The most famous shot in Notorious
Alfred Hitchcock hit the lottery casting Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman opposite one another in Notorious. The duo have excellent chemistry, which carries the narrative through thick and thin to an excellent finale.
Notorious is also a film of clear, intentional design. Few films in Hitchcock’s catalogue have shots directed as purposefully as the ones Hitchcock composed for Notorious. As discussed by DP John Bailey in the video above, the "key shot" was a technical shot in the dark — that actually hit its mark.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Notorious epitomizes Hitchcock’s signature blend of dark humor, suspense, and relationship drama.
Top Alfred Hitchcock Movies
1. Vertigo (1958)
Spiral motifs in the best Alfred Hitchcock movies
Vertigo is Alfred Hitchcock’s undisputed masterpiece: a deeply nuanced story of obsession conveyed with dreamlike imagery. Although many of Hitchcock’s other films deal with taboo subject matter, none do so as explicitly as Vertigo.
James Stewart stars as Scottie, a detective who develops severe acrophobia (fear of heights) after witnessing a woman fall to her death. What follows is a thinly-connected story of Scottie’s aimless wanderings across San Francisco, and his obsession with an idealized woman.
Vertigo explores the subconscious of a perverted mind with piercing insight. The film asks audiences: How far would you go to get back the one you loved? Follow the link for a deeper dive into our Vertigo analysis.Alfred Hitchcock Films
Conclusion
Vertigo is a shining example of Alfred Hitchcock’s trademark stylistic flourishes and thematic obsessions. Ultimately, the film is the very best in an ouvre filled with timeless classics.
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