Spiral Staircase (1946)

This one terrified me when I was 11 or 12. I hadn’t seen many scary movies before this one and several scenes freaked me out. I didn’t start watching horror movies till I was in college.

A serial killer in a small town is targeting young women who have a disability.  A young woman who is mute is understandably terrified.  What is even worse is that the serial killer may have her next on his or her list because it seems she’s been followed to her home.

The scenes that scared me originally are still pretty eerie, such as the one in which the woman is viewed by the hidden serial killer, and then her mouth disappears.

Now I see the movie more as a stylish thriller with good production values and good acting than actually that scary.

I recommend it if you like black & white thrillers.