4. Vertigo (1958)
A masterclass in fear and obsession in film,
Vertigo is the highest-ranking Hitchcock film in this list and easily highlights the reason why Hitchcock is a master of moral-conflicted protagonists and situations. Following the story of Scottie Ferguson, a former police officer left stricken out of the field due to an intense fear of heights (brought on by watching a colleague of his fall to his death during a rooftop chase). Scottie is recruited by an old schoolfriend to watch over his wife Madeline, the pair falling in love before the mentally disturbed Madeline kills herself. There's a twist in the tail, however, when a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Madeline, Judy, appears, continuing Scottie's dangerous love and obsession with Madeline. The truly scary thing is that Scottie starts to mould Judy into Madeline, making her change her clothes and her hair in a group of scenes that is truly unsettling and which makes you actually question whether you're supposed to be rooting for Scottie. Of course he's upset and damaged by the death of his love, but transforming another woman into her despite her wishes not to do so? Very disturbing and unsettling and another way that Hitchcock adds conflicting morals into the mix of his iconic movies.