Alfred Hitchcock is the genius creator behind masterpieces like Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954) and Strangers on a Train (1951).
But one of his films has constantly been ranked among the best productions in the world for decades on end – and it’s now available to stream on Sky.
Released in 1958, Vertigo tells the story of Scottie Ferguson, a former San Francisco police detective, who develops a crippling fear of heights (acrophobia) after a rooftop chase results in a colleague’s death, forcing him to retire.
He is then hired as a private investigator for an old friend, Gavin Elster, who gets Scottie to follow his wife, Madeleine, who he believes is possessed and behaving strangely. Scottie then becomes fascinated by Madeleine, and his feelings for her deepen as he follows her.
Madeleine mysteriously vanishes, and Scottie, devastated, later becomes obsessed with Judy Barton, who bears a striking resemblance to Madeleine. The film then turns in an unexpected direction, and builds up its climax.
James Stewart stars in Vertigo as John “Scottie” Ferguson, and is joined by Kim Novak as Judy Barton/Madeleine Elster, Tom Helmore as Gavin Elster, and Barbara Bel Geddes as Marjorie “Midge” Wood.
The film’s impact in the industry cannot be overstated – it is credited with creating “the Vertigo effect” (or the dolly zoom), an in-camera effect that distorts perspective to create disorientation. It was used in the production to convey Scottie’s acrophobia in a realistic manner.
Upon its release, though, Vertigo was not received with praise. Reviews were mixed, often calling it “too long and slow”, or simply “only a psychological murder mystery”.
Over the years, critics’ opinions began to shift, and Vertigo is now considered Hitchcock’s magnum opus, and one of the best films of all time, included in multiple lists of the greatest cultural products in history. Since then, Vertigo has been recreated in various formats – including theatre, video game and music video form – and languages.
It was also reported that a remake of it was in the works, after Paramount acquired the rights to the film in 2023. The new version is set to be written by Steven Knight, and star Robert Downey Jr.
Vertigo is now available to stream on Sky.