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The First 'Thriller'
The earliest 'thriller' is 'Safety Last', an American film starring Harold Lloyd. Although Safety Last is a romantic comedy, it would later influence future action and "thrill comedy" films. One of the most famous scenes in the silent era of films is featured in this movie where Harold Lloyd hangs from a clock hand on the side of a building. -
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in the UK on the 14th of February 1927. It is about a detective trying to find a serial killer. This is widely considered to be Alfred Hitchcock's first thriller or even the first thriller movie in existence. It is significant in thriller history because it kicked off Hitchcock's career as a thriller film director. -
M
M is a German film directed by Fritz Lang. It was released on the 11th of May 1931 in Germany. M is one of the first serial killer movies and is about a criminal gang in a German city that team up with the police to try and arrest a child serial killer. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and is praised for its dark commentary on Berlin city life in the 1930s. -
The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps was directed by Hitchcock and released in the UK on the 6th of June 1935. It is about a Canadian man who is on vacation in London. He gets involved in an international spy ring related to the "39 Steps" and then meets an agent who is soon killed in his apartment. He is subsequently forced to evade the police who are hunting him for murder. This movie was one of Hitchcock's firsts and paved the way for many more classic movies to come. -
North by Northwest
North by Northwest is considered to be the best and most famous thriller movie of all time. It was directed by Hitchcock and premiered in Chicago on the 1st of July 1959. It is about an advertising man who is mistaken for someone else which lands him in big trouble as he has to run for the police and a foreign spy, but meets a woman along the way. -
Psycho
Psycho is a psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was premiered in New York City on the 16th of June 1960. It is about a woman who steals money and runs to a motel where she meets Norman Bates, a man who becomes a crazy serial killer due to abuse from his mother. One of the most famous scenes in movie history, the "shower scene" is from this movie. It is considered to be Hitchcock's most famous and influential work. -
Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a very disturbing thriller movie directed by Jonathan Demme. It was premiered in New York City on the 30th of January 1991. It is about a young FBI cadet that must receive the help of a cannibal killer to help a madman killer who skins his victims. It is still a classic movie to this day.