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‘Perfect’ thriller with rare 99% score is available for free(Image: PARAMOUNT PICTURES)

This classic thriller is considered one of the greatest movies of all time.

 

Movie buffs have a limited time to watch one of the greatest mystery thrillers ever made completely free of charge.

 

The classic 1954 picture starring two icons of cinema has recently been added to BBC iPlayer, where it will be available for the next 14 days.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window stars James Stewart as L. B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies, a photojournalist who is recovering from an injury and becomes obsessed with spying on his neighbours while confined to a wheelchair.

When he becomes convinced that he witnessed the grisly murder of the wife of one of his neighbours, he sends his girlfriend Lisa Fremont (played by Grace Kelly) to investigate, leading to some of the tensest sequences in movie history.

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Rear Window is considered one of the best films of all time to this day(Image: PARAMOUNT PICTURES)

Still considered the benchmark for cinematic thrillers to this day, the AFI ranked Rear Window number 42 on their list of the 100 best American films and made the number 22 spot on the BFI’s critics’ poll in 2022.

It has a coveted 99 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 134 reviews and definitely shouldn’t be missed for anyone with an interest in classic films.

MovieFreak.com said: “Rear Window is magnificent for a multitude of reasons.

“It has withstood the test of time, and no facet has lost an ounce of effectiveness. As a primer into Hitchcock’s vast, varied, and essential oeuvre, it is the perfect starting point.”

The Boston Globe called it “a movie that truly is a masterpiece”, while the Chicago Tribune described it as “one of Hitchcock’s finest artistic achievements and most popular entertainments”.

Audiences have loved Rear Window over the years too, with one IMDb reviewer calling it a “first-rate thriller”.

 

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An injured photojournalist becomes obsessed with his neighbours in this masterpiece thriller(Image: PARAMOUNT PICTURES)

“Having watched it for the second time recently, I was struck by how razor-sharp the film’s script actually was,” they went on.

“Sure, it didn’t have a big Agatha Christie-type mystery reveal; but the banter and repartee between the main characters was just so well-written. Of course, the film’s framing and camerawork is legendary (for good reason) and Grace Kelly has a luminous screen presence.

 

“Suspenseful, intriguing, and a film that shows off a master at the peak of his craft.”

And a final fan raved: “Rear Window is a one of the more sophisticated Hitchcock films, and I will always consider it a masterpiece. It has tension, suspense, humour, has a strong voyeuristic tone to it and moves along at a good pace.

“The cinematography was truly excellent, dark in some scenes and beautiful in another. I have always considered Rear Window’s main merit to be the performance of James Stewart.

“The other performances go without fault either, especially from the beautiful Grace Kelly as Lisa and Raymond Burr in a chilling performance as ‘the villain of the piece’, Mr Thorwold. All in all, a must see for those who are fans of Hitchcock.”

Planning a classic movie night any time soon? Make sure to include Rear Window on your watchlist before it leaves the free streaming service in two weeks’ time.

Rear Window is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.