Hitchcockian
Hitchcockian films are those made by various filmmakers, with the styles and themes similar to those of Alfred Hitchcock.Characteristics
Elements considered Hitchcockian include:
- Climactic plot twist.
- The cool platinum blonde.
- The presence of a domineering mother in someone's life
- An innocent man accused.
- Restricting the action to a single setting to increase tension.
- Characters who switch sides and/or who cannot be trusted.
- Tension building through suspense to the point where the audience enjoys seeing the character in a life-threatening situation.
- Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations.
- Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
- Use of darkness to symbolize impending doom
- Strong visual use of famous landmarks
- Mistaken identity.
- The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense.
- Use of a macguffin plot device.
- Referring to crime for mystery rather than presenting it explicitly.
Notable examples
Some films, or films with scenes, considered Hitchcockian include:
- Gaslight
- Niagara
- 23 Paces to Baker Street
- Witness for the Prosecution
- Midnight Lace
- Cape Fear
- Charade
- From Russia with Love
- The Prize
- Arabesque
- Blowup
- Wait Until Dark
- Duel
- Play Misty for Me
- The Last of Sheila
- Jaws
- Carrie
- Last Embrace
- Blue Velvet
- Fatal Attraction
- Arachnophobia
- Misery
- Cape Fear
- Basic Instinct
- 12 Monkeys
- Bound
- Double Jeopardy
- What Lies Beneath
- Mulholland Drive
- Panic Room
- Phone Booth
- Disturbia
- Side Effects
- Not Safe for Work
- Crimson Peak
- The Gift
- Don't Breathe
- Nocturnal Animals
- A Kind of Murder
- Split
- Gerald's Game
- A Simple Favor
Filmmakers
The following is a list of filmmakers who have directed multiple Hitchcockian films:
- Dario Argento
- Park Chan-wook
- Henri-Georges Clouzot
- Brian De Palma
Films by country
Australia
- Roadgames
- Coffin Rock
- Blame
- Crawl
- Bad Blood
France
- The Vanishing
- Love Crime
- Elle
- Personal Shopper
Germany
- Unknown
Spain
- Buried
United Kingdom
- Peeping Tom
