Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most revered and legendary directors who ever lived. Along with groundbreaking directors like Akira Kurosawa and Jean-Luc Godard, Hitchcock is considered to be one of the cornerstones of cinema. Hitch laid the groundwork for modern escapist entertainment and pioneered many filmmaking techniques that are still used today.
Hitchcock directed films in all kinds of genres, from slashers to dark comedies, but he’s most closely associated with the thriller genre, which his “Master of Suspense” moniker can attest to. From Vertigo to Psycho, many Hitchcockian classics are renowned for their shocking plot twists.
There Is No Document (The 39 Steps)
In Hitchcock’s classic thriller The 39 Steps, one of the early forerunners to modern escapist actioners, the protagonist Richard Hannay desperately needs a document to clear his name. This document becomes a classic MacGuffin as Hannay is thrust into a widespread conspiracy and chased by men in black. The plot thickens when it turns out that no secret documents have been reported missing.
The movie’s final twist reveals that there is no physical document; the crucial information has been memorized by circus performer Mr. Memory. As he dies of a gunshot, Mr. Memory recites the information he was forced to memorize: plans for a silent aircraft engine.
The Confrontation In The Car (Suspicion)
Throughout Suspicion, Lina begins to fear that her husband is planning to murder her so he can collect on her life insurance policy. When she sneaks away to her mother’s house, her husband Johnny insists on driving her there and revs up to reckless speeds on a road along the edge of a cliff.
When Johnny realizes that his wife is terrified of him, he stops the car and explains his real plan: he was going to take his own life after dropping her off, but decides against it and agrees to face up to his responsibilities.
Willi Is The U-Boat Captain (Lifeboat)
One of the greatest self-contained thrillers ever made, Lifeboat takes place entirely aboard a lifeboat containing the survivors of a World War II-era battleship that was sunk by a Nazi U-boat. Early on, the boat picks up a German survivor named Willi, who claims to be a low-level crew member.
As the conflict escalates, it’s revealed that Willi is actually the captain of the U-boat. Being trapped on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean is already a tense survival situation, but it’s especially tense when one of the boat’s passengers is responsible for the tragedy that put them there.
Lars Thorwald Did Murder His Wife (Rear Window)
The twist in Rear Window is sort of an anti-twist. James Stewart stars as Jeff, an adventurous photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment while an injury heals. He starts spying on his neighbors to pass the time and begins to suspect that his neighbor Lars Thorwald has murdered his wife.
Throughout the film, it becomes increasingly likely that Jeff is just bored and paranoid, but he turns out to be right. Thorwald figures out Jeff is onto him and comes over to his apartment to attack him in the dark in one of Hitchcock’s tensest climactic sequences.
Uncle Charlie Is A Serial Killer (Shadow Of A Doubt)
In one of his famous interviews with fellow filmmaker François Truffaut, Hitchcock named Shadow of a Doubt as his favorite out of all his movies. Shadow of a Doubt starts off with a sweet, wholesome premise – a young woman is looking forward to hosting her uncle for a visit – but it takes a decidedly sinister turn when Uncle Charlie arrives and turns out to be a serial killer.
His niece suddenly has the burden of preventing him from continuing his killing spree and claiming more victims. Joseph Cotten gives an unforgettably sinister performance as Uncle Charlie.
Madeleine Was Played By An Impersonator (Vertigo)
Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Vertigo is widely regarded to be one of his finest films (and ranked by some publications as the greatest movie ever made). James Stewart stars as Scottie, an ex-cop who takes a private gig following his friend’s suspicious wife, Madeleine, played by Kim Novak. Scottie quickly falls in love with Madeleine during his investigation, but in the jaw-dropping midpoint twist, she races to a rooftop and throws herself off it.
Later, Scottie is shocked to see “Madeleine” walking around town. As it turns out, the suicide was faked as part of a murder plot and Madeleine was just a caricature played by an impersonator named Judy the whole time. Judy is initially willing to attempt a relationship with Scottie, but he keeps trying to turn her into Madeleine.
Norman Bates Is The Killer (Psycho)
Following the midpoint shower murder in Psycho, the audience is led to believe that Norman Bates’ unseen mother is the one committing the murders at the Bates Motel and that Norman is just covering up for her to protect her from the cops. When Lila Crane and Sam Loomis start poking around, the truth turns out to be much more disturbing.
Norman is committing the murders while dressed as his mother after he merged her personality with his own to cope with the guilt of killing her out of Oedipal jealousy. This twist is conveyed with the shocking reveal of Mrs. Bates’ mummified corpse in the basement, one of the most terrifying moments in the history of horror cinema.