The Lodger

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Zachary V Very early Hitchcock. German expressionism, particularly the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a clear influence. It is interesting to see the importance of wall-mounted pictures already a deliberate feature of the scenes in this movie. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/25 Full Review N P Alfred Hitchcock's "The Lodger" expertly subverts typical horror movie tropes in a delightful twist that makes audiences want to rewatch it from the beginning to catch hints that otherwise would have been missed. Hitchcock's classic directorial and editing style is in full display in one of his first silent pictures. A suspenseful and entertaining watch! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Mick B Made in a time when stage was still transitioning to screen and the takeaway here are the wonderful expressionist sets, stark, minimalist the original book that this film was adapted was written by a lady directly linked to Francis Thompsons editor! Francis Thompson is now one of the latest and most interesting jack the ripper suspects and this authoress knew Thompson, knew he wandered whitechapel for years and continued to do so after his fame. Thompson was denied the last rites and his writings/diaries burned by his editor after his death, I can't help feeling everytime I watch this film I am watching a very eery connection to people who knew something I highly recommend getting to see this film, do your research see what you think? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review harwee h One of Hitchock's earlier work before he jump to hollywood, a classic that's as entertaining now. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Audience Member It’s a Hitchcock movie with great writing, and sweet visuals. What’s not to like? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/27/24 Full Review Matthew B The Lodger is famously known as the first truly Hitchcockian movie made by the great director. Alfred Hitchcock had included some of his familiar themes and methods in earlier films, but The Lodger brought them all together for the first time. In contrast to earlier dramas and comedies, The Lodger was a thriller, a genre in which Hitchcock was to excel. The story contains many of the elements that Hitchcock was to often use in the future. There are blondes, and scenes of women screaming, reflecting the peculiar obsessions of its director. The story is about murder, a perennial Hitchcock theme. The Lodger is even notable for containing the first of Hitchcock's famous cameos. The story concerns a serial killer in the style of Jack the Ripper. He calls himself the Avenger and leaves a ‘V' as his mark, but it is never clear what he is avenging. His target is young blonde women, and he kills them on Tuesday nights. We are not told much about how he kills the women, but it is implied that the murders are particularly nasty. Into the film comes The Lodger, Jonathan Drew (Ivor Novello). From this point onwards, the movie's atmosphere becomes darker and more uncertain. This is reflected in the unusual camera angles, low lighting and endless fog, which add to the sense of menace. Here Hitchcock owed a debt to the German Expressionist movies made by F W Murnau and Fritz Lang, not to mention The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. It seems strange to think now that the distributors of The Lodger were reluctant to release the film at all because they had a low opinion of it. In the event, it proved to be a big success. The Lodger may be a little rough around the edges, but it is still the best of Hitchcock's silent films, and an important advance in the development of the familiar style that audiences would come to know and love. Few directors share Hitchcock's gift for making an art form out of building up suspense. In The Lodger we see for the first time the loving detail and gift for composition that seemingly lends significance to almost every shot in the movie. Behind the humour and accessible thrills in Hitchcock's best movies lies an understanding of the dark areas of the human heart. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Lodger on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/01/28/the-lodger-a-story-of-the-london-fog-1927/ Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Lodger

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