Barbara Bel Geddes, Ellen Corby, Henry Jones

A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

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93% liked it

34,350 ratings

PG, 128 min.

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Release Date: May 9, 1958

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DVD Release Date: March 31, 1998

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Stats: 5,614 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,614)


  • October 29, 2009
    well acted and beautifully shot but after the 1st half of da film i lost interest
  • August 20, 2009
    "You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn't have been that sentimental."

    A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

    ...( read more)e=+2 face="Century Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Considered by many to be Hitchcock's masterpiece, "Vertigo" may be tough to warm up to on a first viewing. It's an enigmatic and extremely slow-moving film, and it feels personal in ways that many of Hitchcock's other, more playful movies don't. You get the sense that Hitch is working through his personal demons on screen -- the fetishes and obsessions that played such a major role in so many of his films leading up to "Vertigo" feel like characters in and of themselves here. James Stewart delivers a frightening performance as a man who plunges into a world of weird sexual obsession when a woman with whom he's formed a romantic attachment dies (or seems to). He finds another woman who looks amazingly like the first, and proceeds to force a complete physical makeover on her in an attempt to recreate his former love. Kim Novak plays the two women in her typical icy fashion; for once, her stilted, awkward acting works for a role and comes off as an attribute rather than a liability.

    In its new remastered life on DVD, "Vertigo" looks stunning. San Francisco and its surroundings are bathed in ethereal, dream-like lighting, and Hitchcock pays more attention to art direction and the use of color than he ever had previously. Also, there's that amazing swirling Bernard Herrmann score that haunts the film, and accompanies one of the most memorable opening credits sequences ever filmed. There are still a number of other Hitchcock films I would rather watch before "Vertigo," and many others that I would qualify as much more fun, but I can't deny that this one certainly has an allure.
  • June 13, 2009
    Another twisted tale by Hitchcock. For me the excitement of the tale really didn't get started until the "event" took place, which was quite a way through the film and found myself quite bored until this point. Then the film took a totally different direction and of course when...( read more) all is revealed, it becomes a clever little storyline.

    Would be worth more stars had the first half been speeded up a little.
  • May 6, 2009
    An emotionally shattered ex-detective becomes obsessed with a young woman who resembles the love he failed to prevent from committing suicide in one of Alfred Hitchcock's great psychological thrillers. James Stewart gives one of his most intense performances as the disturbed acro...( read more)phobic, and although not really known for her thespian skills, the lovely Kim Novak is actually very convincing in her dual roles as haunted heiress and stalkee. It's one of Hitch's most visually creative films with some very clever and subtle visual tricks and uses of shadow and lighting complimented by a wonderfully other-worldly soundtrack. Mixing elements of psychology, obsession, the supernatural and an extremely clever noir-style plot this is a unique film and one of the true classics. The climax is unforgettable.
  • April 26, 2009
    hitchcock can be great or awful. here he's definitely made a hit rather than miss. james stewart is always good to watch and kim novak is lovely to look at. it has a shocking beginning and a shock ending. it starts off as a mystery and ends as a convoluted romance. yes, a mesmeri...( read more)sing tale from the master of suspense!
  • November 5, 2009
    Great acting, great storyline and great back drop of San Fransisco.
  • November 4, 2009
    incredibly smart film, brilliant..
  • November 2, 2009
    One of the best ever. Hitchcock at his finest
  • October 15, 2009
    Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece. Enough said.....
  • October 8, 2009
    I only recently got a chance to watch this movie, and it's become one of my favourites. This movie is a trip, and an example of what psychological thrillers should be. Seeing the psychedelic effects with James Stewart's face was enough to get this one 5 stars though.

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  • theevilness03
    August 25, 2007
    Yay! first comment!
    yeah I've been reading all your reviews (because I have no life...) and I thought vertigo was REALLY good, but I can see how some people wouldn't like it... I do think it's one of hitchcock's best, probably THE best... Hmm, i dunno, I mean pyscho was good and the birds and north by northwest and... okay maybe I should shut up now! but I can't! I think I'll go and add this movie to my favourites list. I found it to be a pretty disturbing movie though, it kinda messed with my mind a bit... especially the dream sequence, only hitchcock could pull that off and make it creepy, while with other directors it'd probably just end up pretty ridicolous (I can't spell :P )
    yeah, I'll leave now...

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Vertigo Trivia


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