(Photo by Universal)

Alfred Hitchcock Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Watching the movies Alfred Hitchcock made over his five-decade career is not only a thrilling way to spend your free time, but doubles as a legitimate lesson in the history and development of cinema. As director, Hitchcock withstood every significant upheaval of the industry and, in fact, seemed to flourish with each transition. He started in the 1920s during the silent era (The Lodger), transitioned to sound when many of his peers and actors could not (The 39 Steps), and came to America at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age (Best Picture-winning Rebecca). And yet Hitch was only just getting started. When color became the movie standard, he ascended to the Master of Suspense mantle that will become his enduring legacy. 1948’s Rope was his first color film, and what followed seemed an endless beloved parade of wrong men, guilty women, and nefarious murderous plots: Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, and on and on. Even as movies hardened in the ’70s after the collapse of the Hays Code, Hitchcock gleefully followed suit, concluding his career with sordid, cynical takes on his formula in Frenzy and Family Plot. Now, it’s time to dial F for Fresh as we look back with Alfred Hitchcock movies ranked by Tomatometer!

#51

The Shame of Mary Boyle (Juno and the Paycock) (1930)
27%

#51

Adjusted Score: 27.937%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Alfred Hitchcock's second talkie was a surprisingly static adaptation of the Sean O'Casey stage drama Juno and the Paycock. Set... [More]

Starring: Sara Allgood, Edward Chapman, Marie O'Neill, Sydney Morgan

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#50

The Skin Game (1931)
38%

#50

Adjusted Score: 38.242%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two wealthy British families begin fighting over land rights in this comedy drama. One family belongs to the aristocracy and... [More]

Starring: Edmund Gwenn, Jill Esmond, John Longden, Phyllis Konstam

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#49

Waltzes from Vienna (Strauss' Great Waltz) (1934)
50%

#49

Adjusted Score: 50.379%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Anxious to finish off his contract with British International Pictures, Alfred Hitchcock agreed to direct Waltzes from Vienna, a schmaltzy... [More]

Starring: Jessie Matthews, Edmund Gwenn, Esmond Knight, Frank Vosper

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#48

Jamaica Inn (1939)
57%

#48

Adjusted Score: 58.984%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on a Daphne DuMaurier story, this Alfred Hitchcock thriller stars Charles Laughton as Squire Pengallon, the head of a... [More]

Starring: Maureen O'Hara, Charles Laughton, Leslie Banks, Emlyn Williams

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#47

Under Capricorn (1949)
63%

#47

Adjusted Score: 64.657%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Returning to his old Elstree Studios headquarters in England, Alfred Hitchcock did his best with Hume Cronyn's adaptation of the... [More]

Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, Michael Wilding, Margaret Leighton

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#46

Champagne (1928)
63%

#46

Adjusted Score: 63.105%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A wealthy man pretends he is bankrupt to teach his wayward daughter a lesson. An early, silent Hitchcock film which... [More]

Starring: Betty Balfour, Gordon Harker, Jean Bradin, Ferdinand von Alten

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#45

Number Seventeen (Number 17) (1932)
63%

#45

Adjusted Score: 63.584%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: John Stuart is blown into a derelict building to find cockney Leon M. Lion crashed for the night; a corpse;... [More]

Starring: Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart, Donald Calthrop

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#44

Easy Virtue (1927)
67%

#44

Adjusted Score: 55.411%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In the early stages of his directing career, Alfred Hitchcock made a number of hackneyed studio films which barely resemble... [More]

Starring: Isabel Jeans, Robin Irvine, Benita Hume, Franklin Dyall

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#43

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
67%

#43

Adjusted Score: 69.761%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: They're married for bitter or worse - until a technicality renders the union void. But now Mr. misses Mrs. and... [More]

Starring: Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, Jack Carson

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#42

Torn Curtain (1966)
67%

#42

Adjusted Score: 70.207%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A double agent has to contend with enemies on both sides of the political fence as well as the woman... [More]

Starring: Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Lila Kedrova, Hansjörg Felmy

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#41

Rich and Strange (1931)
70%

#41

Adjusted Score: 70.552%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This atypical Alfred Hitchcock effort is a cautionary fable which lends credence to the old saw "Love flies out the... [More]

Starring: Henry Kendall, Joan Barry, Betty Amann, Percy Marmont

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#40

Topaz (1969)
69%

#40

Adjusted Score: 72.519%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Filmed on locations ranging from Denmark to the Universal backlot, Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz is based on a novel by Leon... [More]

Starring: Frederick Stafford, John Forsythe, Dany Robin, John Vernon

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#39

The Paradine Case (1948)
77%

#39

Adjusted Score: 78.155%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this film, Anna Paradine is on trial for the murder of her wealthy husband. British barrister Anthony Keane takes... [More]

Starring: Gregory Peck, Ann Todd, Charles Laughton, Charles Coburn

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#38

Saboteur (1942)
86%

#38

Adjusted Score: 89.511%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this film, aircraft plant worker Robert Cummings is accused of sabotaging his factory and causing the death of a... [More]

Starring: Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane, Otto Kruger, Norman Lloyd

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#37

Downhill (When Boys Leave Home) (1927)
83%

#37

Adjusted Score: 45.762%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The black sheep of a prosperous family's life begins its downward spiral when he is expelled from school after shielding... [More]

Starring: Annette Benson, Lillian Braithwaite, Violet Farebrother, Alf Goddard

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#36

I Confess (1952)
83%

#36

Adjusted Score: 87.699%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on the turn-of-the-century play Our Two Consciences by Paul Anthelme, this Alfred Hitchcock film is set in Quebec. Montgomery... [More]

Starring: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#35

Marnie (1964)
83%

#35

Adjusted Score: 86.456%

Critics Consensus: A coolly constructed mystery revolving around a character who's inscrutable to a fault, Marnie finds Hitchcock luring audiences deeper into the dark.

Synopsis: One year after she appeared as Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, The Birds, actress Tippi Hedren took on another... [More]

Starring: Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery, Diane Baker, Martin Gabel

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#34

Spellbound (1945)
85%

#34

Adjusted Score: 90.652%

Critics Consensus: Spellbound's exploration of the subconscious could have benefitted from more analysis, but Alfred Hitchcock's psychedelic flourishes elevate this heady thriller along with Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck's star power.

Synopsis: A psychoanalyst falls in love with her new boss, and it is soon discovered that he has difficulty with remembering... [More]

Starring: Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Michael Chekhov, Leo G Carroll

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#33

Blackmail (1929)
87%

#33

Adjusted Score: 89.744%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film utilized the new sound technology in a rather creative way off-camera. Hitchcock's lead actress, Anny... [More]

Starring: Anny Ondra, John Longden, Donald Calthrop, Sara Allgood

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#32

Secret Agent (1936)
86%

#32

Adjusted Score: 89.612%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: After his supposed funeral, a British spy (John Gielgud) pairs up with another agent (Madeleine Carroll) in Switzerland where they're... [More]

Starring: Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, Robert Young, John Gielgud

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#31

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
87%

#31

Adjusted Score: 91.517%

Critics Consensus: Remaking his own 1934 film, Hitchcock imbues The Man Who Knew Too Much with picturesque locales and international intrigue, and is helped by a brilliantly befuddled performance from James Stewart.

Synopsis: The debate still rages as to whether Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much is superior... [More]

Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Miles

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#30

Murder! (1930)
89%

#30

Adjusted Score: 91.169%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Creaky, formative Hitchcock concerns the director's No. 1 cinematic preoccupation: guilt and innocence. A juror (Herbert Marshall) who helped convict... [More]

Starring: Herbert Marshall, Norah Baring, Phyllis Konstam, Edward Chapman

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#29

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)
89%

#29

Adjusted Score: 95.975%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: While vacationing in Switzerland, Britons Leslie Banks and Edna Best befriend jovial Frenchman Pierre Fresnay. Not long afterward, Fresnay is... [More]

Starring: Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Peter Lorre, Frank Vosper

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#28

Dial M for Murder (1954)
89%

#28

Adjusted Score: 93.792%

Critics Consensus: Dial M for Murder may be slightly off-peak Hitchcock, but by any other standard, it's a sophisticated, chillingly sinister thriller -- and one that boasts an unforgettable performance from Grace Kelly to boot.

Synopsis: Based on the popular mystery play by Frederick Knott, Dial M For Murder is more talky and stagebound than most... [More]

Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams (II)

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#27

The Farmer's Wife (1928)
90%

#27

Adjusted Score: 90.382%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This first film version of Eden Philpotts' play The Farmer's Wife was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The story involves a... [More]

Starring: Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis, Lilian Hall-Davis, Gordon Harker

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#26

Stage Fright (1950)
90%

#26

Adjusted Score: 92.35%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Jonathan Cooper is wanted by the police who suspect him of killing his lover's husband. His friend Eve Gill offers... [More]

Starring: Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#25

The Trouble with Harry (1955)
87%

#25

Adjusted Score: 90.268%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this film, Jerry Mathers stumbles upon Harry's corpse in the woods. Mathers alerts his mother Shirley MacLaine, who recognizes... [More]

Starring: Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Mildred Natwick

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#24

Frenzy (1972)
90%

#24

Adjusted Score: 94.902%

Critics Consensus: Marking Alfred Hitchcock's return to England and first foray into viscerally explicit carnage, Frenzy finds the master of horror regaining his grip on the audience's pulse -- and making their blood run cold.

Synopsis: Suspenseful, disturbing, and darkly humorous, Frenzy, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is the story of a rapist-murderer, whose distinctive murder weapon... [More]

Starring: Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, Barry Foster, Anna Massey

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#23

The Manxman (1929)
92%

#23

Adjusted Score: 92.953%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Although he was established as a master of suspense by 1929, Alfred Hitchcock was still under contract to British International... [More]

Starring: Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen, Anny Ondra, Randle Ayrton

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#22

Lifeboat (1944)
93%

#22

Adjusted Score: 96.649%

Critics Consensus: Hitchcock proves he can wring suspense from the most confined of settings aboard a raft teeming with vivid personalities in this maritime thriller.

Synopsis: Seeking a creative challenge after several years' worth of fairly elaborate melodramas, director Alfred Hitchcock stages all of the action... [More]

Starring: Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak, Walter Slezak, William Bendix

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#21

The Wrong Man (1956)
92%

#21

Adjusted Score: 94.775%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on the true story of a musician wrongly accused of robbing an insurance company and the grave effect his... [More]

Starring: Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#20

Family Plot (1976)
92%

#20

Adjusted Score: 95.405%

Critics Consensus: The Master of Suspense's swan song finds him aiming for pulpy thrills and hitting the target, delivering a twisty crime story with pleasurable bite.

Synopsis: Alfred Hitchcock's final film was adapted from Victor Canning's novel The Rainbird Pattern by Ernest Lehman, who previously wrote the... [More]

Starring: Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane, Karen Black

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#19

Rope (1948)
94%

#19

Adjusted Score: 101.124%

Critics Consensus: As formally audacious as it is narratively brilliant, Rope connects a powerful ensemble in service of a darkly satisfying crime thriller from a master of the genre.

Synopsis: Rope, Alfred Hitchcock's first color film, was adapted from Patrick Hamilton's stage play Rope's End by no less than Hume... [More]

Starring: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Cedric Hardwicke

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#18

Vertigo (1958)
94%

#18

Adjusted Score: 106.322%

Critics Consensus: An unpredictable scary thriller that doubles as a mournful meditation on love, loss, and human comfort.

Synopsis: Dismissed when first released, later heralded as one of director Alfred Hitchcock's finest films (and, according to Hitchcock, his most... [More]

Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#17

Foreign Correspondent (1940)
95%

#17

Adjusted Score: 100.163%

Critics Consensus: Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent features a winning combination of international intrigue, comic relief, and some of the legendary director's most memorable set pieces.

Synopsis: Fourteen scriptwriters spent five years toiling over a movie adaptation of war correspondent Vincent Sheehan's Personal History before producer Walter... [More]

Starring: Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, George Sanders, Herbert Marshall

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#16

The Birds (1963)
95%

#16

Adjusted Score: 101.515%

Critics Consensus: Proving once again that build-up is the key to suspense, Alfred Hitchcock successfully turned birds into some of the most terrifying villains in horror history.

Synopsis: The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor),... [More]

Starring: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#15

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1928)
96%

#15

Adjusted Score: 98.454%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: While the silent The Lodger was not director Alfred Hitchcock's first film, it was the first to truly deserve the... [More]

Starring: Ivor Novello, June, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#14

The 39 Steps (1935)
96%

#14

Adjusted Score: 106.849%

Critics Consensus: Packed with twists and turns, this essential early Alfred Hitchcock feature hints at the dazzling heights he'd reach later in his career.

Synopsis: A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused,... [More]

Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Godfrey Tearle, Lucie Mannheim

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#13

To Catch a Thief (1955)
96%

#13

Adjusted Score: 102.114%

Critics Consensus: It may occasionally be guilty of coasting on pure charm, but To Catch a Thief has it in spades -- as well as a pair of perfectly matched stars in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Synopsis: A jewel thief is at large on the Riviera, and all evidence points to retired cat burglar Cary Grant. Escaping... [More]

Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#12

Psycho (1960)
96%

#12

Adjusted Score: 109.594%

Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.

Synopsis: In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock was already famous as the screen's master of suspense (and perhaps the best-known film director in... [More]

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#11

Suspicion (1941)
97%

#11

Adjusted Score: 101.91%

Critics Consensus: Not even notorious studio meddling can diminish the craft and tantalizing suspense of Suspicion, a sly showcase for Joan Fontaine's nervy prowess and Alfred Hitchcock's flair for disquiet.

Synopsis: This Alfred Hitchcock mystery has an unusually lighthearted touch, but it still has plenty of suspense. A wealthy woman marries... [More]

Starring: Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#10

The Lady Vanishes (1938)
98%

#10

Adjusted Score: 107.381%

Critics Consensus: One of Alfred Hitchcock's last British films, this glamorous thriller provides an early glimpse of the director at his most stylishly entertaining.

Synopsis: Miss Froy disappears on her return train trip from a vacation in the Balkans. However, Iris Henderson is the only... [More]

Starring: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#9

Notorious (1946)
96%

#9

Adjusted Score: 102.144%

Critics Consensus: Sublime direction from Hitchcock, and terrific central performances from Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant make this a bona-fide classic worthy of a re-visit.

Synopsis: A convicted traitor's daughter becomes a U.S. Government spy and falls in love with a fellow agent. She then accepts... [More]

Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#8

Strangers on a Train (1951)
98%

#8

Adjusted Score: 105.557%

Critics Consensus: A provocative premise and inventive set design lights the way for Hitchcock diabolically entertaining masterpiece.

Synopsis: In one of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classics, tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony... [More]

Starring: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Leo G Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#7

Rear Window (1954)
98%

#7

Adjusted Score: 112.035%

Critics Consensus: Hitchcock exerted full potential of suspense in this masterpiece.

Synopsis: Laid up with a broken leg, photojournalist L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to his tiny, sweltering courtyard apartment. To... [More]

Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#6

North by Northwest (1959)
97%

#6

Adjusted Score: 110.049%

Critics Consensus: Gripping, suspenseful, and visually iconic, this late-period Hitchcock classic laid the groundwork for countless action thrillers to follow.

Synopsis: While having lunch at the Plaza Hotel in New York, advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) has the bad... [More]

Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G Carroll

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#5

The Ring (1927)
100%

#5

Adjusted Score: 82.702%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Alfred Hitchcock's silent The Ring is a traditional prizefighting melodrama, elevated by the richness of the characterizations and the stylish,... [More]

Starring: Lilian Hall Davis, Carl Brisson, Lilian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#4

Sabotage (1937)
100%

#4

Adjusted Score: 101.915%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this film, Oskar Homolka plays a London movie-theatre owner who maintains a secret life as a paid terrorist. Homolka's... [More]

Starring: Sylvia Sidney, Oscar Homolka, John Loder, Desmond Tester

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#3

Young and Innocent (1938)
100%

#3

Adjusted Score: 103.383%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this Alfred Hitchcock film, Derrick De Marney finds himself in a difficult situation when he is wrongly accused of... [More]

Starring: Derrick De Marney, Nova Pilbeam, Percy Marmont, Edward Rigby

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#2

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
100%

#2

Adjusted Score: 109.548%

Critics Consensus: Alfred Hitchcock's earliest classic -- and his own personal favorite -- deals its flesh-crawling thrills as deftly as its finely shaded characters.

Synopsis: This is about the relationship between Uncle Charlie and his niece. He seems to be a good man on the... [More]

Starring: Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, Macdonald Carey, Hume Cronyn

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

#1

Rebecca (1940)
100%

#1

Adjusted Score: 112.794%

Critics Consensus: Hitchcock's first American film (and his only Best Picture winner), Rebecca is a masterpiece of haunting atmosphere, Gothic thrills, and gripping suspense.

Synopsis: The second Mrs. de Winter is a shy and naive young woman, besotted with charming and urbane Maxim de Winter.... [More]

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock