Hitchcockian

Hitchcockian films are those made by various filmmakers, with the styles and themes similar to those of Alfred Hitchcock.

Characteristics

Elements frequently included in Hitchcock's films which lead to Hitchcockian comparisons include:

• Climactic plot twist.
• The cool platinum blonde.
• The presence of a domineering mother in someone's life.
• An innocent person accused (e.g. ', Blackmail, Murder!/Mary, Young and Innocent, The 39 Steps)
• Restricting the action to a single setting to increase tension (e.g. Lifeboat, Rope, Rear Window).
• 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 (e.g. Vertigo).
• Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations (e.g., Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Secret Agent).
• Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
• Use of darkness to symbolize impending doom (dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.; e.g. Rope)
• Strong visual use of famous landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Forth Rail Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Albert Hall, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, etc.)
• Mistaken identity (e.g. North by Northwest, Frenzy).
• The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense. (e.g. The Man Who Knew Too Much, Number Seventeen)
• Use of a MacGuffin plot device.
• Referring to crime for mystery rather than presenting it explicitly (e.g. Dial M for Murder).
• Train scenes (e.g. North by Northwest, The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt, The 39 Steps).
• Bus scenes (e.g. Sabotage, To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much)
• Belfry/bell tower sequences (e.g. The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Secret Agent)
• Rooftop-borne demises, especially from very tall buildings (e.g. To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Blackmail, Jamaica Inn)
• The color red provoking a fearful, and potentially self-destructive, reaction. (e.g. Rear Window, The Fourth Man (1983 film), Marnie)
• A beautiful woman needlessly embezzling her employer's money
• Voyeurism and surveillance.