Josef von Sternberg (1927)

A notorious gangster rises to power in a violent, prohibition-era metropolis. He befriends a reformed alcoholic and falls for a woman already involved with a rival. Tensions build as loyalties shift and the underworld closes in. The narrative unfolds with atmospheric visuals and stylized violence, heralding the gangster genre's early cinematic form.

Alfred Hitchcock (1927)

A serial killer known as "The Avenger" is on the loose in London, targeting young blonde women. One night, a mysterious man (Ivor Novello) arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting, looking for a room to rent. The Buntings' daughter, Daisy, a blonde model, becomes involved with the lodger, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Joe, a detective. As suspicions about the lodger's identity grow, Joe becomes convinced that he is the killer. Tensions rise, culminating in a dramatic finale where the lodger's innocence or guilt is revealed amidst a furious mob.

Edgar G. Ulmer (1945)

A down-on-his-luck pianist hitchhiking across the country becomes entangled in a deadly web of mistaken identity, manipulation, and moral collapse. What begins as a simple journey spirals into noir-infused fatalism, marked by a chilling femme fatale and a mounting sense of doom. Filmed on a shoestring budget, this lean, shadowy thriller has become a cult classic for its raw tension and existential grit.

Ida Lupino (1953)

Two friends on a road trip pick up a hitchhiker—only to realize too late that he is a deranged killer. Held hostage in the desolate desert, they face a psychological and physical ordeal with no easy way out. Taut, minimalist, and relentless, this suspenseful noir was directed by one of the few women in 1950s Hollywood and remains a striking example of true-crime storytelling stripped to its rawest form.