10 Most Disturbing Psychological Film Thrillers
8. Vertigo
Few directors defined and shaped the psychological thriller genre like Alfred Hitchcock, and Vertigo is one of his very best. A particularly mature and tricky film for the director and for the time period, this James Stewart vehicle takes a hard-edged approach to themes of loss and obsession, featuring a boldly unsympathetic performance from the loveable actor.
Stewart plays Scottie, a San Francisco detective with a crippling fear of heights following the death of his partner. Retiring from the force, he takes on a private investigation gig which hurls him into a world of subterfuge, lookalikes, and madness.
Scottie is one of Hitchcock’s most well rounded characters, a brusque and difficult man with a tragic backstory and a heroic streak, all of which come to the fore as he delves further into the murky plot. Kim Novak plays the dual roles of Judy Barton and Madeleine Elster, lookalikes who play a part in Scottie’s increasing detachment from reality.
A shocking film by 1958 standards, Vertigo remains a classic of the genre, an ageless work of grand ambition and psychological torment.