Alfred Hitchcock films
This 1960 Hitchcock film, famous for its shower scene, introduced audiences to Norman Bates and the Bates Motel.
Pyscho
Hitchcock often used this emotional reaction—felt by characters and audiences alike—as the driving force in his suspenseful films.
Fear
“This is a very old house.”
This quote comes from the film featuring the Bates Motel and Norman’s mother.
Psycho
Marion Crane steals money and checks into the Bates Motel. (Hint has access to a lot of money at her job)
bank employee
Marion Crane hides in the shower, unaware that danger is waiting.
Murder in the bathroom
Cary Grant plays the charming protagonist on the run from both spies and the police in this 1959 Hitchcock classic. (Hint Movie from class)
North by Northwest
Characters in Hitchcock movies are frequently wrongly accused, mistaken for criminals, or pulled into dangerous plots. This common theme is known as “the ______ man.”
the wrong man
“I wish I were out there now.”
A frustrated photographer says this as he stares out at his neighbors’ apartments.
Rear Window
L.B. Jefferies is stuck in his apartment, watching his neighbors. (Hint camera)
Photographer
L.B. Jefferies watches a neighbor moving suspiciously in the middle of the night. (What is this action?)
spying/suspecting a crime
In this suspenseful film, James Stewart plays a photographer stuck in his apartment who becomes convinced he’s witnessed a murder across the courtyard.
Rear window
Hitchcock frequently explored the idea that ordinary life hides dark secrets. This theme is famously shown in films like Shadow of a Doubt and Rear Window.
darkness
“They’re coming! They’re coming!”
A panicked warning in the film where ordinary animals suddenly turn hostile.
The Birds
Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a secret agent and chased across the country.(Hint: North By Northwest)
Business man
Melanie Daniels is trapped inside a small house while birds begin attacking from outside. (What is happening?)
attacked/surrounded by birds
This 1943 film, one of Hitchcock’s personal favorites, centers around a young girl who suspects that her beloved uncle may actually be a serial killer. (Shadow)
Shadow of a Doubt
Hitchcock’s films often blur the line between what is real and what is imagined, creating tension through questionable perceptions and unreliable viewpoints.
the theme of reality vs. illusion
“That’s funny… that plane’s dustin’ crops where there ain’t no crops.”
A key line that foreshadows one of cinema’s most famous chase scenes.
North by Northwest
Norman Bates owns the motel and has a dark secret.
Hotel manager/owner
Roger Thornhill is chased across an empty field by a plane with no warning.
Often cited as the film where Hitchcock experimented most radically with time and editing, this 1948 thriller appears to unfold in a single, continuous take, starring James Stewart and John Dall.(Hint: Think tug of war)
Rope
In Psycho and several of Hitchcock’s darker films, characters struggle with hidden impulses and fractured identities, revealing his fascination with this psychological theme involving divided or conflicting selves.
the theme of duality/ split identity
“Why, she wouldn’t even harm a fly.”
This iconic closing line chillingly reframes the entire story of a lonely motel owner.
Psycho
Melanie Daniels visits Bodega Bay and ends up fighting for survival during the bird attacks.
Vistitor
Norman Bates appears calm while hiding a dark secret, creating tension for anyone around him.
living a double life / secret killer suspense