The Best Alfred Hitchcock Movies

Here is a list of the best Hithcock Films; many people would say he has some of the best suspense films ever made.  They are full of subtle creepiness, mystery, intrigue and clever plots.  He also manages to throw in several romances and memorable scenes.  What is your favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie?

#1 – Rear Window

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 93% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – I was not surprised to see this as the #1. It is a classic and popular Hitchcock film. It is interesting and carries suspense throughout the film but also has some great humor and romance intermixed in this classic thriller. I would say it is worth watching for sure.

Summary -  When professional photographer J.B “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his glamorous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events…Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history.

#2 – Vertigo

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 91% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion –Vertigo has some violence that is implied but does not actually show anything. The material in this film is meant for an older audience. I would say this is one of the better Hitchcock film’s which shows in the ranking.

Summary – Set in San Francisco, James Stewart portrays an acrophobic detective hired to trail a friend’s suicidal wife. After he successfully rescues her from a leap into the bay, he finds himself becoming obsessed with the beautifully troubled woman.

#3 – Rebecca

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 91% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – This is another classic but is slow moving and drags on a little but you still get the feel of suspense with this film. Rebecca has themes of adultery and incest which you might not your children to view.

Summary – After a whirlwind romance, mysterious widower Maxim de Winter (Olivier) brings his shy, young bride (Fontaine) home to his imposing estate, Manderley. But the new Mrs. de Winter finds her married life dominated by the sinister, almost spectral influence of Maxim’s late wife: the brilliant, ravishingly beautiful Rebecca, who, she suspects, still rules both Manderley and Maxim from beyond the grave!

#4 – North by Northwest

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 89% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – The scenes at Mount Rushmore are so interesting.  The scene where he is supposed to meet someone out in the middle of nowhere and gets chased by an airplane is unforgettable.  Great acting and a great plot full of twists.  I highly recommend it.

Summary – Cary Grant plays a Manhattan adman plunged into a realm of spy (James Mason) and counterspy (Eva Marie Saint) and variously abducted, framed for murder, chased, and in a signature set-piece, crop-dusted. He also hangs for dear life from the facial features of Mount Rushmore’s Presidents. Savor one of Hollywood’s most enjoyable thrillers ever in this state-of-the-art restoration: it’s renewed picture vitality will leave you just as breathless as the chase itself.

#5 – To Catch a Thief

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 87% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – The chase down the mountain at the beginning is so iconic.  If you want to understand what the big deal about Grace Kelly is, just watch this movie.  The new DVD and Blu-ray versions are actually very well done and the special features make it worth owning.

Summary – Cary Grant plays John Robie, reformed jewel thief who was once known as “The Cat,” in this suspenseful Alfred Hitchcock classic thriller. Robie is suspected of a new rash of gem thefts in the luxury hotels of the French Riviera, and he must set out to clear himself. Meeting pampered heiress Frances (Grace Kelly), he sees a chance to bait the mysterious thief with her mother’s (Jessie Royce Landis) fabulous jewels. His plan backfires, however, but France, who believes him guilty, proves her love by helping him escape.

#6 – Spellbound 

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 84% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – This is another Hitchcock murder mystery. He finds ways to put in new twists and turns and each of his films and Spellboound is no exception.  This film does not end in a way you would think it would.

Summary – Dr. Constance Peterson (Bergman) is a dedicated psychiatrist who puts all her passion into her work – until she falls in love with Dr. Edwards (Peck). Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that Edwards is an impostor – an amnesiac – who may or may not be a cold-blooded murderer. Pursued by the police, Constance must decide whether to turn in her mysterious lover… or risk her life by trying to unlock the dark secrets in his mind.

#7 – Shadow of a Doubt

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 84% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – This one is said to be Hitchcock’s personal favorite but is not the most popular film amongst viewers.  I have not actually seen this one it looks a little bizzarre and too far out there for my taste but reviews show if you like Hitchcock films I would consider this one.

Summary – Joseph Cotton stars as Uncle Charlie, a calculating and charming killer who hides out in his relatives’ small hometown. There, he befriends his favorite niece and namesake, Young Charlie (Teresa Wright). But she begins to suspect he may be the famed Merry Widow murderer. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues as the psychopathic killer plots the death of his young niece to protect his secret.

#8 – Notorious

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 82% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – Another Hitchcock thriller.  It has some great acting.  The plot just isn’t my favorite (it’s not a chic flick).  I would recommend it for men.

Summary – When troubled beauty Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is recruited by American agent T.R. Devlin (Grant) to infiltrate a German spy ring in postwar Rio, she accepts… but soon finds herself falling in love with Devlin. And when she receives orders to seduce a Nazi kingpin (Rains), Alicia must sacrifice the only happiness she’s ever known for a perilous mission that could ultimately cost her and Devlin their lives.

#9 – The Birds

Is it any Good?  Bear-ometer score: 82% like it

Mommy Bear’s Opinion – I first saw this film in eighth grade English class. I have seen this one other time. I did not personally like it. It was too hard and gloomy for me. I thought it was boring but then creepy how there was birds always attacking people in this film. I think that younger children would be scared by this film.

Summary -  As beautiful blond Melanie Daniels (‘Tippi’ Hedren) rolls into Bodega Bay in pursuit of eligible bachelor Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), she is inexplicably attacked by a seagull. Suddenly thousands of birds are flocking into town, preying on school children and residents in a terrifying series of attacks. Soon Mitch and Melanie are fighting for their lives against a deadly force that can’t be explained and can’t be stopped in one of Hollywood’s most horrific films of nature gone berserk.

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