Overview
A man confined to his apartment becomes a reluctant detective, uncovering dark secrets from his neighbors.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- witty
- intimate
- classic film night
- mystery movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Hitchcock's tightly controlled, visually inventive murder mystery as an exceptionally entertaining and suspenseful classic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jeff watches the courtyard neighbors through his rear window, implicating both him and the audience in surveillance.
Jeff investigates the suspected murder almost entirely from his apartment while his injury limits direct action.
The rear window frames the neighbors' apartments as interconnected vignettes within one urban courtyard.
Jeff's suspicion of Thorwald's household parallels Lisa's attempts to enter Jeff's emotionally guarded world.
Films like Rear Window, and why
The Conversation
shared voyeuristic suspense, urban isolation, and psychological thriller mechanics
Dial M for Murder
shared murder mystery structure, confined perspective, and escalating suspicion
Vertigo
shared Hitchcockian suspense, romantic tension, and deceptive investigation
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Release Date
- 1954-08-01
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 8.3 / 10 (7390)
Cast
- James Stewart
- Grace Kelly
- Wendell Corey
- Thelma Ritter
- Raymond Burr
- Judith Evelyn
- Ross Bagdasarian
- Georgine Darcy
- Sara Berner
- Frank Cady
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rear Window about?
- A wheelchair-bound photographer turns his apartment window into a dangerous murder investigation and a mirror of his own relationships.
- What is Rear Window like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rear Window as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Rear Window violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Rear Window as mild.
- What did critics think of Rear Window?
- Critics broadly regard Hitchcock's tightly controlled, visually inventive murder mystery as an exceptionally entertaining and suspenseful classic.
- Which films are like Rear Window?
- Films with a similar feel include The Conversation, Dial M for Murder, and Vertigo.
- How long is Rear Window?
- Rear Window runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rear Window?
- In United States, Rear Window streams on Philo, YouTube TV.
