ReelBars

Alfred Hitchcock · 1950s

6 films directed by Alfred Hitchcock from the 1950s, on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 5 S-Tier picks including North by Northwest, Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much.

North by Northwest

North by Northwest(1959)

8.0/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

S-Tier

S-Tier Warner Bros. 4K. Hitchcock's chase film with Cary Grant, scoring a perfect 5.0 overall. WB's protective steelbook packaging was praised as an industry standard others should follow. A World Cinema Library premium edition exists for the truly dedicated. To Catch a Thief is also coming to 4K, and people want Strangers on a Train and Dial M for Murder next.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray
Rear Window

Rear Window(1954)

8.3/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

S-Tier

Reference quality transfer that people keep calling a system showcase. The courtyard detail jumps in 4K, and longtime fans say it feels like meeting old neighbors for the first time. Universal's Hitchcock 4K set is the way most people get it, and Gruv regularly discounts it to around $45 USD. Comments consistently call this one worth $50 USD on its own.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956)

7.4/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

S-Tier

Part of the Hitchcock Classics Collection Volume 3, which Gruv has discounted as low as $18 USD with coupons. Collectors call this the weaker of Hitchcock's two versions of the story (the 1934 British original is preferred by purists) but the Doris Day performance and "Que Sera, Sera" sequence make it the more visually interesting disc.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
The Trouble with Harry

The Trouble with Harry(1955)

7.0/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

S-Tier

Collectors who have seen it call it one of the most underrated transfers in the Universal Hitchcock lineup. The Vermont autumn photography in VistaVision looks stunning on a good display, and the film itself is funnier than people expect from Hitchcock. Most people buy it as part of the Classics Collection rather than hunting it standalone.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
Vertigo

Vertigo(1958)

8.1/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

S-Tier

VistaVision source material gives this a level of detail that pre-1960s films rarely reach on disc. Colors are incredible and the shoulder stitching on Kim Novak's wardrobe is visible in scenes where it used to be a smear. A standard pick in any top 3 reference disc conversation alongside Dune and Lawrence of Arabia.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
To Catch a Thief

To Catch a Thief(1955)

7.3/10

dir. Alfred Hitchcock

C-Tier

Paramount Presents 4K with a steelbook that Amazon accidentally priced at $13.99 during a preorder glitch. The C-Tier rating comes from the original Blu-ray transfer, which collectors called an abomination. The 4K corrected the color timing and Grace Kelly's Riviera wardrobe finally looks right. This is the one Hitchcock 4K not from Universal.

Paramount Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray