When it comes to the master of mystery and thriller cinema, he did so many films, that you might get lost, without knowing what to start.
If you are only an occasional lover of noir, mystery, psychological thrillers, but you don't want things that combine also the horror genre, then you might want to start with some "softer" movies, that will not shock you or scare you.
This is the purpose of the Hitchcock movies I have listed below, that I watched myself, and can absolutely advise. They have amazing plots and stories, they were played by the biggest cinema stars at the time, with lights and unique techniques in the history of cinema.
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
This mix of humor, mystery, and action was shot in Hitchcock's British period, before moving to Hollywood.
I have written about the film before: it has it all, as the action happens on a train, where a respectable lady disappears, and two young people who met occasionally are sure that she really existed, and are determined to solve the mystery of her disappearing, and probably save her life.
The film is surprisingly fresh and well done and will keep you smart and fun company for almost two hours.
Rebecca (1940)
This is the best cinema adaptation for Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same name, starring the talented Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.
The film is one of the must-see classics, 2-times Oscar-winning, and receiving other 9 nominations.
A naive and shy young woman (whose name we do not find in the film, portrayed by Jean Fontaine in her first important role on-screen) keeps company to a rich lady of society, who doesn't treat her very well.
In Monte Carlo, they meet Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) - a widowed aristocrat who is attracted to the young woman's innocent charm.
The two get married and go to live in Maxim's historic mansion in Manderlay, England.
The servants of the house are reluctant to accept the new wife, especially the housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) who, obsessed with the personality of the first imposing wife Rebecca de Winter, keeps her mark with sanctity throughout the house.
The movie is magistral, the decors too, the atmosphere is always full of thick mystery, that's only going to solve at the end of the movie.
As interesting as the story and Manderley itself, one of the best parts is how Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine managed to portray the tragic feelings, life, psychology of the main characters.
A very beautiful movie, to watch.
Notorious (1946)
The film is starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains as three people whose lives become intimately entangled during an espionage operation.
The film follows U.S. government agent T.R. Devlin (Grant), who enlists the help of Alicia Huberman (Bergman), the daughter of a German war criminal, to infiltrate a Nazi organization.
The situation becomes complicated when the two fall in love.
The film is considered by critics to mark a watershed for Hitchcock artistically, and to represent a heightened thematic maturity. (source: Wikipedia)
It has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (source: Wikipedia)
Rear Window (1954)
A splendid mystery starring Grace Kelly and James Steward, another one not to miss.
The film is considered by many critics to be one of Hitchcock's best and one of the greatest films ever made. In 1997 was added to the United States National Film Registry in the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (source: Wikipedia)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Another crime mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams.
I particularly liked this film, from all those seen by me until now I would put it in the second place, thanks to the ingenious plot/story, and the great performance of the main actors.
A feast for detective and crime lovers.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
This is a romantic thriller and full of adventures film, where Cary Grant and Grace Kelly finally meet on the screen.
It has that riviera charm, being filmed in the south of France.
With Grace Kelly's fascinating appearance, the film is a classic must-see for all the lovers of the genre, and the two legends of Classic Hollywood.
Vertigo (1958)
This is probably the best film I have ever seen in my entire life, so if I should advise you to watch one of Hitchcock's, this is it.
The movie is so amazing that I don't want to do any spoiler.
I will only say that it stars James Steward and Kim Novak, and it is absolutely worth every second.
It has replaced "Citizen Kane" as the best movie ever made, and many times has been included on tops and lists of best movies.
In 1989, Vertigo was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (Wikipedia)
