Watch The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog For Free

Too many fans seem to be blown away

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

"The Lodger" is known as Hitchcock's first real movie, ie. the first to show some of his trademark touches.Unfortunately, for most of the movie I was bored. It seemed hopelessly overlong at an hour and a half for what is a rather simple story. The titular lodger comes to stay at a boarding house while there is a serial killer on the loose. A mutual attraction develops between the lodger and a show girl who lives at the house, and people begin to suspect the lodger may be the killer, long after we have made the same assumption.The movie finally takes a turn for the unexpected near the end, but I had lost interest by that point.

'The Lodger' is the first real Hitchcock movie and it is his best from his silent era. With this movie Hitchcock managed to establish many of his trademarks (including his cameos). Suspenseful and interesting screenplay has enough turns to keep the film from being predictable. I think, I don't need to go over the plot, but the mystery, killings, revenge, love is all there. Plus Hitchcock plays wonderful trick with revealing the killer.Delightfully moody mystery piece that really treats the eye. Mus see film for every fan of Hitchcock and silent era films general

(Flash Review)Regarded as Hitchcock's first true feature film, he brings a lot of cleverness, tension and intrigue to the story. A story about a serial killer known as the Avenger who is speculated to be wearing a scarf. One day, during the London Fog, a man with a scarf comes knocking looking for lodging where a room is for rent. The woman hesitantly rents him a room but becomes increasingly suspicious. Has she just rented a room to a serial killer or is she being overly worried? Will the lodger be treated normally during his stay especially when he starts to fancy the woman's daughter? Hitchcock builds great suspense as the story unfolds with some creative camera trickery, effective POV shots all accompanied by stellar and moody cinematography. With this film, Hitchcock set the tone and themes for his outstanding film career.

I love the opening title card, showing a caricature of a trenchcoated figure with a wide brimmed hat, lurking through a doorway, bathed in orange light. Girl, with a wide open gape, screaming, as she discovers the blonde body, the latest victim of "The Avenger", a Jack The Ripper-like maniac stalking and killing blondes on the foggy streets of London. But who is responsible? Is it the new lodger taken in by the Buntings, who has taken an uncanny interest in their blonde daughter? Hitchcock's first suspense flick, as well as one of his earliest surviving films, is nearly expressionistic, theatrical, essential viewing for Hitchcock fans and fans of silent films, even if a bit static and harmed by contrived happy ending. A lot of the film deals, not with the actual murders, but with the sensationalistic media coverage of the murders. Based on the somewhat overrated book by Marie Belloc Lowndes, this film improves on that slow moving tale, based partially on the Jack The Ripper killings form 1888, and theories as to who the killer was. A lot of commenters merely mention this as being Hitchock's first film, and talk about the traits he later used which he originated with this film. But people couldn't say that at the time of the initial release, they could (and should) only talk about what a good movie this is, to this day. It still holds up as a good suspense movie, despite being nearly a century old, and regardless of who directed it and at what point in their career.