THE LODGER
1927
Alfred Hitchcock
SYNOPSIS
A serial killer known as 'The Avenger' terrorizes London, targeting blonde women in the fog. A landlady suspects her new lodger, a secretive man with strange habits, might be the murderer. Establishing the themes of the 'wrong man' and suspense, this is Alfred Hitchcock’s first true thriller. With its expressionistic lighting and innovative visual tricks, it launched the career of the Master of Suspense and defined the British silent film aesthetic.
CRITIQUE
This is the first 'true' Alfred Hitchcock film, introducing the themes and obsession that would define his career. It established the 'wrong man' archetype and the use of expressionistic lighting to convey suspicion and dread. Influenced by his time in Germany, Hitchcock used visual tricks—like a glass floor to show pacing footsteps—to build psychological tension. It transformed the British thriller from stagey melodrama into a purely cinematic experience. It is the birth of the Master of Suspense, showcasing his unique ability to manipulate the audience’s fear.