Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.
Hitchcock's penultimate film is a late-career return to explicit thriller territory, notable for its unflinching brutality and dark humor. The cinematography is exceptional — particularly the famous reverse tracking shot pulling away from the murder scene, a masterclass in suggestion over spectacle. The plot is a solid wrongly-accused man thriller with Hitchcockian DNA, though it lacks the tight construction of his best work. Acting is competent but uneven. The film's novelty comes from Hitchcock's willingness to push into graphic territory unprecedented for him, but the overall conception remains within established genre conventions. The ending is functional but somewhat abrupt and low-key compared to his classics.