Very hard question because there are so many ways films are good. I don’t think there is an objective answer to the “good/bad” question, but I can give my reasons why I consider it the best film for me.
Vertigo (1958)
Most consider this one Hitchcock’s masterpiece. It came out a few years after Rear Window (1954), but right before North by Northwest (59) and Psycho (60). These are considered his big four. Notorious from 1946 is one of his greats as well by film-buffs. Hitchcock has a lot of greats.
Why do I like it more than any other?
I’ll touch on a few of those reasons:
First and foremost, it impacts me emotionally like few other films do.
But also because it’s like a meditation on film, there are a lot of dreams-like scenes, and the climactic twist in the middle of the film with Hitchcock’s famous “Hitchcock time bomb” plot mechanic is never better executed than it is in this film (IMO). Thematically, the film goes beyond the intellect, and into colour metaphors, there is doubtless a connection between “vertigo” and “vert” (green) which is used as a colour to catch the eye of Scottie, the main character (played by Jimmy Stewart).
It's the sort of film that hits differently each time you watch it.
Is it for everyone? I don't think so.
I don’t think this is a good film for Gen Z, since they are sensitive about age gap romances, and this one features one with a man around 50 and a woman who is 25 and it deals with themes of consent and coercion. There is a lot of innuendo and questionable stuff going on in the background. For instance, in this scene, see if you can pick it up:
Notice the subtle way her dress and undergarments hang in the background - which implies more about what Scottie was up to before this scene.
And there is so much more to think about on just this scene the second time through, once you know the twist. The film is dark, and darker still than it appears on the surface. But also an enjoyable watch at the same time. I probably watch this film no less than once a year. The most recent time was about a month ago.
The film is not for everyone - it’s not as accessible as films like Rear Window or North by Northwest, but it is IMO Hitchcock at his very artistic peak.
Speaking of Age gap romances, this is another one I like (retold in The Simpsons, although with a different sort of a twist on it, they replaced the idea of an affair with father vs teacher as a male role model... and also starred Dustin Hoffman as the voice of Mr. Bergstrom):
Anyway, for a summer flick. I mentioned Rear Window. The film again stars Jimmy Stewart as a photographer with a broken leg. There is a heatwave going through New York City, and everyone has their rear windows open to let the air in. There are all these little stories going on in the different apartments throughout the film while Jeffries (Stewart) spies on them. Again, The Simpsons made an entire episode based on this film (this one even closer to the source material), and Lisa plays Lisa (played by Grace Kelly/Princess Grace). Rear Window is also one of the most widely accessible films ever made, and I think just about everyone who watches will enjoy it during this excessively hot summer.
Incidentally: Lisa's Substitute and Bart of Darkness are two of my favourite Simpsons episodes.
Here's another one I think is phenomenal: The Silence of the Lambs
The most historically important film is probably Casablanca. This scene depicts Patriotism vs Nationalism. It was recorded not long after the fall of France to the Nazis.
Last edited by Jumpin - on 30 June 2025I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
