Review of Peeping Tom (1960) by John E — 18 Jul 2011

Featuring a plot that seems as if it was culled from any number of B-horror movies, Peeping Tom treats its story with great professionalism, which handily lifts it above B-movie status. With the assured directorial hand of Michael Powell, the movie is creepy the whole way through and looks fantastic.

Powell's movie must have been shocking for the time, but its violence level is amazingly minimal, even compared with its contemporary, Psycho. The movie is quite bizarre and disturbing, but does not shock with violent images, a decision for which Powell should be applauded.

Our serial killer's boyish looks and arrested mental development gain him lots of audience sympathy. Sadly, our sympathy may be well-placed from the safety of our living room, but the lame, melodramatic romance that crops up between one of his prospective victims is pure lunacy.

There is no way anyone would be that attracted to a man so obviously deranged. A killer's inner torment over whether to classify a woman as a potential lover or victim is quite an intriguing concept, but one that perhaps could have best been explored within the killer's own mind, as opposed to trying to vivify this romance into a nearly successful relationship between two people.

Overall, Peeping Tom takes a great idea and tries to do a little too much with it. Its stylish execution and neat premise make for a fine cult horror movie.