Filmmakers and actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood were quite keen on experimentation, and this trial and error period resulted in some incredible movies. These films are still widely celebrated and are credited for laying templates that modern movies use all too frequently.

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With directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston being at their peak, there was no shortage of classics. Today, thriller fans might be eager to watch some of the best movies from the Golden Age and there's no better way to identify the strongest releases than through IMDb ratings.

The 39 Steps (1935) - 7.6

Professor Jordan with his missing finger joint in The 39 Steps

A Canadian man is vacationing in London when he is approached by a woman who claims to be an MI6 agent. She asks him for help in solving a conspiracy, only to turn up dead later. The man is thus singled out as the suspect and is forced to go on the run.

The 39 Steps hardly gives audiences any time to catch a breathe since the protagonist has to stay on the lam for most of the running time. Both the introductory minutes, where the man meets the spy, and the climatic ones are superbly done too, providing a perfect beginning and conclusion to the fast-paced tale. Pace aside, the movie also combines shock and suspense to memorable effect.

The Naked City (1948) - 7.6

A view of New York from a window in The Naked City

A prominent model is murdered inside her bathroom so a detective and his partner task themselves with solving the high-profile case. The two have a hard time finding any witnesses but that doesn't drive them into despair.

Viewers will love the beautiful shots of mid-20th century Manhattan. Thrillers also thrive on the franticness of the characters and The Naked City has dozens of moments where the detectives are shown to be in a rush against time. Fans of chase sequences will also enjoy a phenomenal one that takes place at the Williamsburg Bridge.

The Woman In The Window (1944) - 7.7

The professor and the muse in The Woman In The Window (1944) - 7.7

A professor coincidentally meets a woman whose portrait he had seen on a gallery earlier. The two flirt and head to her home only for her jealous boyfriend to show up. A fight ensues and the professor kills him in self-defense before deciding to cover up the murder.

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The Woman in the Window shows just how quickly things can go wrong. There are detailed dream sequences, channeling realism in numerous forms. And apart from the twists and turns, the plot accurately examines the struggles of a mid-life crisis. The elements of coincidence work well too, especially the fact that the professor happens to teach criminology. This makes the work of covering up the murder easier for him.

The Lady Vanishes (1938) - 7.8

Margaret Lockwood, Cecil Parker, Basil Radford, and Michael Redgrave in The Lady Vanishes

An elderly woman disappears on a train to England and so her accomplice begins looking for her. Strangely enough, other passengers deny she ever existed.

The Lady Vanishes warms viewers by kicking off things on a humorous note before diving deep into thriller territory. There are plenty of political connotations too, which isn't surprising, considering the fact that the movie was released right before the start of World War II. And as is the case with most Hitchcock movies, there is a big twist right at the end.

The Big Sleep (1946) - 7.9

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall stand closely together and look to the side in The Big Sleep.

A private investigator is hired by a wealthy general to pursue a pornographer who has naked photos of his daughter. He finds the man dead and goes on a mission to find out what truly happened.

The Big Sleep has so many heavy subplots that it might be hard to keep up with them all. Nonetheless, that isn't necessarily a bad thing because it makes the movie rich from a storytelling perspective. Fans who hate how adaptations dilute the source material will not feel the same way here since the thriller is as dense as the Raymond Chandler novel it's based on.

The Thin Man (1934) - 8.0

The detective and his wealthy wife enjoy their honeymoon in The Thin Man

Based on Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same name, The Thin Man follows a detective and his wealthy wife who spend their days drinking and satisfying their hedonistic appetites. Things take a turn for the bizarre when a young lady convinces them to help her find her missing dad.

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The W. S. Van Dyke project thrives on a deft blend of comedy and thrills while making sure to include a heady portion of glamour. There couldn't have been a better cast either as Myrna Loy and William Powell have great chemistry. It's no surprise that the two were cast together a whopping 14 times in their illustrious careers.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - 8.0

Sam Spade clenches his fist against Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon.

In one of Humphrey Bogart's best-ever movies, he stars as Detective Sam Spade, a lawman who teams up with Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a femme-fatale looking for a missing jewel-encrusted bird statue. It soon emerges that there are plenty of other crooked individuals looking for the same thing.

Viewers get to see Bogart's range as an actor as he shifts from villain and anti-hero roles and plays a proper protagonist. Even though it's director Huston's debut feature, he proves to be a master of his craft serving beautiful camera angles and packing in so much tension that makes the ending even more shocking.

The Third Man (1949) - 8.1

Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man

A man explores the rubble of World War II in Vienna to find answers about a missing friend. He soon finds himself in the middle of a complicated conspiracy.

The Third Man is considered one of the best classic movies of all time and its strength lies in its characters, who roam around the decimated European city with plenty of secrets. Throughout the running time, viewers are kept on their toes, left to wonder who is genuine and who isn't. There is a beautiful score by Anton Karas too, which helps liven up the somber mood.

Rebecca (1940) - 8.1

The tycoon's wife is confronted by the housekeeper in Rebecca

Based on the Daphne du Maurier novel of the same name, a demure lady marries a rich widower after meeting him at the Franch Riviera. However, her husband's longtime help becomes hostile to her and she soon discovers that there was more to the death of his first wife.

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Rebecca's use of a composed narrator reminds modern-day viewers of Martin Scorsese movies. Even better is that the movie doesn't hop through too many locations. Most of the proceedings take place at the urbane widower's compound. The camerawork is perfect too, with the black and white color scheme made to look even darker in order to create an eerier feeling.

Rear Window (1954)  - 8.5

James Stewart - Grace Kelly - Rear Window

A photojournalist spends his days looking out of the window after breaking his leg during an assignment. He soon notices a couple who keeps on fighting until one day, the lady disappears. Suspecting the husband, the photojournalist enlists his girlfriend to help him find out the truth.

Rear Window often ranks top among Alfred Hitchcok's best ever movies due to a variety of reasons. The celebrated director expertly blends the themes of classism and domestic violence while sprinkling in romance at the same time. There's a great buildup too, with the director taking time to lay out the stories and characters before building to a dash to the end. Additionally, the dialogue is very clever with delightful moments of humor.

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