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Peeping Tom

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Peeping Tom

Released May 15, 1962

1h 49m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Loner Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen (Anna Massey), the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making. She sneaks into Mark's apartment to watch it and is horrified by what she sees -- especially when Mark catches her.

Critics Consensus

Peeping Tom is a chilling, methodical look at the psychology of a killer, and a classic work of voyeuristic cinema.

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

Michael Powell’s elegant and disturbing Peeping Tom turns its camera eye on an unhealthy obsession with all things cinematic.

May 24, 2024

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Here voyeurism itself looks outwards and inwards, confounding perpetrator and victim, filmmaker and viewer, camera and phallic weapon, while observing a pathology as metacinematic as it is psychiatric.

Jan 10, 2024

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

The film remains dangerous and brilliant...

Rated: 5/5

Oct 27, 2023

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

...an astonishing film that doesn’t lose its power upon repeated viewings.

Rated: 8/10

Feb 1, 2025

Full Review

Sharai Bohannon

A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast

'Peeping Tom' is an interesting predecessor for many subgenres we know and love. There are moments when the camera work is stunning and the film has so much to unpack that it's worth a few rewatches.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 30, 2024

Full Review

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger together created films of unusual conceptual ambition and high style for UK cinema...

Aug 30, 2024

Full Review

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Lars N

The 'British Psycho' is shooting way over, but it has it's moments and a fun angle.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

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Revolver 0

Strangely good idea by but sometimes goofy realization

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/25

Full Review

jay f

For a 1960 crown endeavor, it’s pretty good.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

Full Review

Julian S

“Peeping Tom” is a landmark in voyeuristic cinema, offering a haunting look at a killer's psychology, all wrapped in striking, dramatic lighting that deepens its disquieting allure.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/30/24

Full Review

Audience Member

First class suspence thriller I remember it well . Time for a rewatch

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/24

Full Review

Jonathan O

One of the best cinematic horror of the 60's it is the British version of Psycho and Peeping Tom is a masterpiece of slasher and the cinematography looks unique beautiful shot and quite disturbing and uncomfortable for viewers and Michael Powell did really fantastic director but sadly the critics gone to far for not allowing Powell to make more films.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/24

Full Review

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Michael Powell

Director

Karlheinz Böhm

Mark Lewis

Moira Shearer

Vivian

Anna Massey

Helen Stephens

Maxine Audley

Mrs. Stephens

Esmond Knight

Arthur Baden

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Synopsis

Loner Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen (Anna Massey), the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making. She sneaks into Mark's apartment to watch it and is horrified by what she sees -- especially when Mark catches her.

Director: Michael Powell
Producer: Michael Powell
Screenwriter: Leo Marks
Distributor: Astor Pictures Corporation, 20th Century Fox, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Anglo-Amalgamated Productions
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): May 15, 1962, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.0K
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Mono

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