You know how many films depict the magic and wonder of cinema in such gorgeous, magnificent scenes? Peeping Tom does the opposite. Sure, it has director Michael Powell’s signature flair, with excellently framed and colored shots, but he takes a much more violent route here, swapping spectacular fantasy with the psychological terror of how the act of filming and watching can be. Given the title, it won’t be a surprise that the film involves voyeurism, but rather than of the sexual kind, Powell hones into the morbidity of the camera gaze, the twisted pleasure that’s felt when the audience sees someone terrified, despite the violence done upon them. It’s because of this that the film was so controversial, but eventually, Peeping Tom garnered critical acclaim for breaking ground as the first slasher film ever made.

We can talk about the direction and the then-original point-of-view shots that have become popular in horror films, but I think it’s important to mention how Carl Boehm’s performance and Leo Marks’ screenwriting made the protagonist feel compelling. It’s not just that Lewis is a voyeur– he’s made into one, and it’s only until Helen’s kindness that he even starts to question his life– and it’s why the film is so memorable.