Peeping Tom (1960)
Movie Info
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Cast
as Vivian
as Helen Stephens
as Mrs. Stephens
as Arthur Baden
as Mark Lewis
as Mr. Peters
as Diane Ashley
as Don Jarvis
as Dora
as Dr. Rosan
as Milly
as Inspector Gregg
as Sgt. Miller
as Tony
as Lorraine
as Publicity Chief
as Assistant Director
as Miss Simpson
as Elderly Gentleman
as Store Detective
as P. Tate the Cameraman
as Baxter
as Mr. Lewis
as Mrs Partridge
as Police Doctor (uncredited)
as Small Man
as Young Man Extra
as Clapper Boy
Critic Reviews for Peeping Tom
All Critics (53) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (2) | DVD (4)
An integral film for the development of the horror genre.
Michael Powell's Peeping Tom is the best movie ever made about the voyeuristic allure of making and watching movies.
Fear, as it turns out, is the most frightening thing in the world, and Peeping Tom makes us feel it palpably as few films have been able to do.
Almost forty years later, Powell's audaciousness, satirical wit and dazzling color sense still crackle with life.
Peeping Tom reminds us of the scary, primitive power of movies by putting us, as viewers, in the position of its peeping protagonist. As the psychopath sets up his victims for the kill, we see them through his eyes.
It still packs a wallop. Maybe that's because, in cinema, we're all peeping toms. And the camera, in skillful hands, can be an exquisite instrument of terror.
Audience Reviews for Peeping Tom
Extremely bold and perverse for the time it came out (as it was the first film to put us in the perspective of a serial killer), this is a work of great psychological depth that dives into the dark corners of misogyny and voyeurism while making us sympathetic towards its sick protagonist.
Super Reviewer
Well directed and acted but deeply disturbing even today. No wonder it was considered so shocking in its day.
Super Reviewer
Over the years, there have been so many films to be hailed as the precursor to the Slasher film. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho has had a profound influence on the genre, creating many imitators such as Black Christmas and Halloween to name a few. Michael Powell's Peeping Tom was highly controversial at the time of its release, prompting an end to his career in cinema. This is a stellar work of filmmaking and it was the first film to feature the murders in the killer's POV (as referenced in Scream 4). This is a stunning piece of cinema that not only is a classic of horror, but is also a classic of cinema. This film suggests only what the mind can't see, and in turn makes it much more unrelenting on the viewer. Peeping Tom is the perfect example of a film that uses atmosphere and suspense to create the mood and tone of the film, which is a technique that would be used in the early Slashers of the 1970's. Peeping Tom was a film that truly was ahead of its time, and it seems pretty tame nowadays, but back then, this was a film that caused a stir, but with that said, it revolutionized horror thrillers forever and added a much needed dimension to the genre. This film took risks and pushed the envelope and over the years, you can clearly see how this film influenced a genre. Like Psycho, this remains a benchmark of horror filmmaking, and in turn reinvented the rules. Karlheinz Böhm's performance is stunning as Mark Lewis, the killer who has an appetite for beautiful women who kills them on camera in a voyeuristic style. This is a brilliant film that genre fans will surely enjoy. Peeping Tom is often overlooked as it was certainly eclipsed by Psycho, which was released the same year, and wasn't as vilified as this film. In terms of a horror picture, Peeping Tom succeeds on many levels, and is a unique and standout film that revolutionized the genre forever. Michael Powell has crafted a fine picture using atmosphere, thrills and suspense and leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks, which is far more terrifying.
Super Reviewer
Peeping Tom Quotes
| Mark Lewis: | Do you know what the most frightening thing in the world is? It's fear. |