Strangers on a Train (1951)

January 7, 2026

There are so many shots where you just see, in the distance, a man in a suit observing you. I love these shots. Oh my gosh, this has one of the creepiest shots ever: they are at a tennis court, and the camera pans to the audience, who follow the ball from one side of the court to the other with their heads, always moving; but just in the center, sitting, is one guy not moving his head. The camera zooms in on him, staring straight ahead, in his suit and hat with a creepy smile. Always standing or sitting in the distance, watchful, with a smile on his face.

The villain is so menacing, it’s so good. I think the movie being black and white helps a lot to sell this somberness. Also, how crazy is it that in the 1950s they used to play tennis in shorts while wearing jackets? The old dude at the end of the movie who stops the carousel reminds me a lot of my grandpa, he looked very similar. 7/10