# 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 (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).
* Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
* Use of darkness to symbolize impending doom (dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.)
* 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.
* 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 color red provoking a fearful, and potentially self-destructive, reaction.
* A beautiful woman needlessly embezzling her employer's money.
* Voyeurism and surveillance.

## Notable examples

Some films, or films with scenes, considered Hitchcockian include:
* Gaslight (1944)
* Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
* Niagara (1953)
* 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956)
* Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
* Midnight Lace (1960)
* Cape Fear (1962)
* Charade (1963)
* From Russia with Love (1963)
* The Prize (1963)
* Mirage (1965)
* Arabesque (1966)
* Blowup (1966)
* Wait Until Dark (1967)
* Duel (1971)
* Play Misty for Me (1971)
* Sisters (1972)
* The Last of Sheila (1973)
* Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
* Jaws (1975)
* Obsession (1976)
* Halloween (1978)
* Last Embrace (1979)
* Dressed to Kill (1980)
* Maniac (1980)
* Blow Out (1981)
* Body Double (1984)
* Blue Velvet (1986)
* Fatal Attraction (1987)
* Frantic (1988)
* Arachnophobia (1990)
* Misery (1990)
* Cape Fear (1991)
* Basic Instinct (1992)
* Shallow Grave (1994)
* 12 Monkeys (1995)
* Bound (1996)
* The Cable Guy (1996)
* Double Jeopardy (1999)
* What Lies Beneath (2000)
* Mulholland Drive (2001)
* Panic Room (2002)
* Femme Fatale (2002)
* Phone Booth (2002)
* Disturbia (2007)
* Bad Education (2004)
* Funny Games (2007)
* Passion (2012)
* Side Effects (2013)
* Stoker (2013)
* Not Safe for Work (2014)
* Crimson Peak (2015)
* The Gift (2015)
* Don't Breathe (2016)
* Nocturnal Animals (2016)
* A Kind of Murder (2016)
* Split (2016)
* Thoroughbreds (2017)
* Gerald's Game (2017)
* A Simple Favor (2018)
* The Invisible Man (2020)
* Eileen (2023)

### 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 (1981)
* Crosstalk (1982)
* Coffin Rock (2009)
* Blame (2010)
* Crawl (2011)
* Bad Blood (2017)

### France

* Les Diaboliques (1955)
* Plein Soleil (1960)
* The Bride Wore Black (1968)
* La Piscine (1969)
* Mississippi Mermaid (1969)
* Le Boucher (1970)
* The Vanishing (1988)
* Love Crime (2010)
* Elle (2016)
* Personal Shopper (2016)
* L'Amant double (2017)

### Germany

* Unknown (2011)

### India

* Andhadhun (2018)
* Sookshmadarshini (2024)

### Italy

* The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
* Terror (1978)
* Tenebrae (1982)

### South Korea

* Mother (2009)
* The Handmaiden (2016)
* Decision to Leave (2022)

### Spain

* Buried (2010)

### United Kingdom

* Peeping Tom (1960)