Peeping Tom (1960)

UK 101m, Colour
Director: Michael Powell; Cast: Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, Maxine Audley, Pamela Green

Peeping Tom is a psychological thriller about a serial killer who films his victims to witness the fear in their expressions. A tortured victim of his father’s own sadistic “scientific” observations, Mark befriends a young woman and promises never to film her, all the while continuing his “documentary” of fear. With many scenes shot from Mark’s point of view, the audience becomes part of his murderous voyeuristic obsession. Though tame by today’s standards, in 1960 this brilliantly conceived horror film was highly controversial and years ahead of its time (Klaus Ming February 2016).