The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

Dir: Alfred Hitchcock | UK | 1927 | 90 mins | Cert. PG

Set in a foggy and unsettled London with a Jack the Ripper type serial killer on the loose, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) was Alfred Hitchcock’s first major commercial and critical success. Based on a story by Marie Belloc Lowndes, the film is a masterpiece of atmospheric thriller filmmaking. It contains many of Hitchcock’s subsequent trademark themes, and also features his first recognisable film cameo.

Made for Michael Balcon’s new Gainsborough studios, The Lodger was Hitchcock’s first thriller, and his first critical and commercial success, quickly establishing him as a name director. The film was described in glowing terms by trade journal Bioscope: “It is possible that this film is the finest British production ever made.”

This screening will be accompanied by a live score from Minima (“one of the leading bands accompanying silent film in Europe” – Robert Rider, Head of Cinema, Barbican Centre, London).
“Minima’s spine-tingling music clung to each twist of the movie… spellbinding accompaniment.” (The Guardian)
“A superbly sinister live score by the soundtrack group Minima.” (The Financial Times)