Some things are better left (un)seen.
In an era where we spend a lot of time at home, it’s reasonable to assume the monotony of simply moving from the living room to the kitchen and back again might get old pretty quickly, forcing us reluctant homebodies to turn our attention to, well, our neighbors. Whether it’s looking through binoculars, a telescope or even the Instagram grid, we don’t just want access to the sights of other people, but their lives. And Hollywood knows that.
With “The Voyeurs,” starring Sydney Sweeney, now streaming on Amazon Prime, here are six films about unsolicited spying, peeping and peering.
'Rear Window' (1954)
No voyeur-centric film list would be complete without Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” The 1954 classic stars Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly as a recently injured, temporarily wheelchair-bound photographer and his girlfriend, respectively. As L.B. Jefferies, Stewart’s cabin fever pushes him to use his camera as a means of peering into the windows of neighbors, one of whom he becomes convinced has committed murder.
One of Hitch’s finest, this four-time Oscar nominee isn’t the only work of his involving voyeurism. Anthony Perkins’ Norman Bates has a habit of peeping in on Bates Motel guests — or victims — in “Psycho,” which took the world by storm and changed showers forever just six years later.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video or Showtime.
'Peeping Tom' (1960)
Sure, a film about a man who uses a camera to film his victims’ last expressions before he murders them essentially ended the directing career of Michael Powell. But this once-controversial psychological horror-thriller — which now holds a 96% fresh rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes — now lives on as, as Jami Bernard wrote for the Daily News in 1999, “the best movie ever made about the voyeuristic allure of making and watching movies.”
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, or Hoopla Digital.
'1984' (1984)
John Hurt stars as Winston Smith, a man tasked with rewriting history and who falls in love with Julia (Suzanna Hamilton). Based off of George Orwell’s prescient dystopian novel of the same name — which coined phrases like “thoughtcrime,” “Big Brother,” and “doublethink” — Michael Radford’s science fiction film feels less and less fictional with the likes of Alexa, Siri, and too-personalized ads, and misinformation all around us.
Available to stream on Hoopla Digital and PlutoTV.
'American Beauty' (1997)
Alan Ball’s Oscar-winning black comedy script centers on a middle-aged suburban husband and father whose zest for life returns with an infatuation for the best friend (Mena Suvari) of his teenage daughter. Enter a neighbor who deals pot and films his girlfriend and her dad through their window and Sam Mendes’ portrayal of a once-quiet anywhere America street turns deadly.
Available to stream on PlutoTV.
'The Truman Show' (1998)
Jim Carrey stars as the titular Truman whose life, unbeknownst to him, is watched on televisions worldwide. Think “Kardashians” but in real time, with zero consent from the reality moguls, and with every friend and significant other actually a hired actor. Even storms and sunshine were generated by a seemingly omnipotent crew. Once Truman starts to catch on, the content suffers and Ed Harris’ megalomaniacal creator-executive producer will do whatever it takes to keep the show afloat.
Available to stream on PlutoTV.
'Voyeur' (2017)
This documentary starts as journalist Gay Talese probing Colorado motel owner Gerald Foos who claims to have spent decades peeping into his guests’ rooms thanks to customized attic ceiling vents — installed by Foos and his wife — as both a sociological experiment and a means of, well, you get the idea. By the end, it’s not just Foos’ reputation on the line.
Available to stream on Netflix.
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