As the end of 2025 approaches, I chose not to focus on another film released this year. Instead, I wanted to highlight a film I saw for the first time in 2025 that left a lasting impression on me. Here is a brief and quick review of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog from 1927 stands as a powerful early example of cinematic suspense. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season as we look back at this remarkable film.
The story begins with London wrapped in fear. A killer who calls himself The Avenger is stalking the streets, targeting young blonde women, and the entire city feels uneasy. While the police struggle to catch him, life goes on for an ordinary family, the Buntings, who rent out a room to make extra money.
One night, a quiet and mysterious man arrives and asks to stay. He is tense, polite, and oddly guarded. He pays in advance, keeps mostly to himself, and seems deeply unsettled by the murders that fill the newspapers. When he removes the pictures of blonde women from the walls of his room, the Buntings begin to wonder who they have allowed into their home.
Their daughter Daisy grows curious about him, and eventually begins to care for him, even though she is already seeing a police detective. As the murders continue, suspicion builds. The detective becomes convinced that the lodger is the killer, and fear spreads through the house as everyone around Daisy starts to doubt the stranger living upstairs.The film slowly reveals what is real and what is misunderstood. What looks obvious at first becomes complicated, and the story turns toward tragedy, grief, and the danger that comes from judging too quickly.
First of all, it is no secret that Alfred Hitchcock is regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. His name alone is associated with suspense, craft, and control over every element of a film. But if you have never explored his earlier silent work, this is an ideal place to start. The Lodger shows a filmmaker already thinking visually, already experimenting with atmosphere and tension, and already shaping the kind of storytelling that would later define his career. The camerawork is striking, the mood is thick with dread, and the sense of suspense builds slowly in a way that still feels effective and modern today. I strongly recommend giving this film a chance, especially if you want to see where so much of Hitchcock’s legendary style first began to take shape.
The silent era of horror is often associated with a few films that most horror fans have seen like Nosferatu (1922), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). But it is worth your time to dive a little deeper and you’ll find some gems that aren’t exactly talked about enough. On top of it being Alfred Hitchcock, this film can get overshadowed by his other masterpieces like Psycho (1960) or Rear Window (1954).
With this review wrapping up 2025, I do just want to take a second to appreciate all of the great horror films and non-horror films that came out this year. It was a great year and I can’t wait to see what happens in 2026! Thanks for reading.
Happy New Year!
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