Suspicion (1941)

By modern standards, the relationship between Cary Grant's Johnny and Joan Fontaine's "Monkeyface" - that's what he calls her - is chilling, not romantic: a wastrel, he binds her in a vicious cycle with her one moment suspecting him of plotting murder and the next feeling floods of relief and love once it's turned out he simply stole from her and lied about it - and Hitchcock plays similar games with his audience, combining moments of comedy (Nigel Bruce's duck calls and Grant's facial expressions and tickles) with murderous chills, referencing the real-life poisoning case of William Palmer as poor Monkeyface traverses that rollercoaster of love and giggles during the highs, and, during the dips, the fear her new husband is going to kill her for her money!

★★★★★

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Rebecca (1940)

*Spoiler warning*

Hitchcock's adapatation of Daphne du Maurier's romantic thriller, about the second Mrs de Winter struggling to live up to the image of the first glamorous socialite one, provides neat last minute outs for an abuser and body tamperer and literally concludes, "She was asking for it," but is thoroughly enjoyable and full of memorable moments, like the dreamy approach to Manderley, the amusing courtship that happens behind the back of  Edythe van Hopper, and that fiery ending.

★★★★★

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