26: Blackmail (1929)

BLACKMAIL was released in two formats in 1929: a shortened silent version, and an extended talkie version, thus making it not only the first talkie of Hitchcock’s career but also the first talkie in British cinema. The silent version may be slightly superior, but the talkie has it’s own nuggets of charm, revealing Hitch’s skill with banter and offscreen dialogue. But the most notable element of this film to modern audiences would likely be its rather aggressive and censor-challenging narrative. The inciting incident is an unambiguous sexual assault that leads the pretty and demure protagonist to stab a man with a carving knife. In a sense, this film is one of the first r*pe revenge movies, kicking off a sub genre that would lead to some of the most affecting horror films of all time. Arguably the best of the genre is Coraline Fargeat’s REVENGE, an instant classic from 2017 that does little new, but everything perfectly.