Horror 2026 Countdown: Rope (1948)

Rope (1948), dir. Alfred Hitchcock, Transatlantic Pictures 

The Leopold and Loeb case was one of the most shocking murder trials of the 1920s, so why shouldn't Hitchcock tackle it?

Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) are the best of chums. Young, fairly well off, why, you would be hard pressed to find two more utterly upstanding fellows. 

They also want to commit to murder. Not for hate or profit but for the thrill. The thrill of getting away specifically, but who can they kill? They settle on their old prep school pal David (Dick Hogan) because why not? He's clearly inferior so if anything they're making the world a better place. 

So with little fanfare they lure David back to their spacious penthouse and do the deed. Once done, they settle on another idea. Why not a party? Invites are sent out and the guest of honor is even given a special seat, namely a large trunk acting as the buffet table. 

The guest list is macabre in unto itself. 

Mr. Kently (Sir Cedirc Hardwicke)-David's father.

Mrs. Atwater (Constance Collier)-David' aunt

Kenneth Lawrence (Douglas Dirk)-another classmate, David's biggest rival

Janet Walker (Joan Chandler)-David's girlfriend 

and last but not least, Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), the boys old prep school headmaster. Cadell is a notable guest too, as the man's work is a sort of Nietzschean take on the 'Superman'. Both boys think he'd be amused at their little experiment. 

 The evening starts out well enough, although the conversation keeps steering back towards David. Brandon starts out cool as a cucumber, even if the only thing he wants to talk about is the art of murder. Phillip, on the other hand, is morose and twitchy. The party breaks up eventually, but as Rupert leaves, he's given David's monogramed hat by mistake. 

After the guests have left, Rupert returns to the apartment. He's been piecing things together all evening and he doesn't like the picture...

Wonderful and beautifully shot. In other hands this might have come across as too stagey but here, you're trapped with the killers. It's just a matter of which will breaks first.