Hitchcockian

Elements considered Hitchcockian include:

• Climactic plot twist.
• The cool platinum blonde.
• The presence of a domineering mother in someone's life
• An innocent man accused.
• Restricting the action to a single setting to increase tension (e.g. Lifeboat, Rear Window).
• Characters who switch sides and/or who cannot be trusted.
• Tension building through suspense to the point where the audience enjoys seeing the character in a life-threatening situation (e.g. Vertigo).
• Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations (e.g., Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much).
• Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
• Use of darkness to symbolize impending doom (dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.)
• Strong visual use of famous landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Forth Rail Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Albert Hall, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, etc.)
• Mistaken identity (e.g. North by Northwest, Frenzy).
• The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense.
• Use of a macguffin plot device.
• Referring to crime for mystery rather than presenting it explicitly (e.g. Dial M for Murder).

Some films, or films with scenes, considered Hitchcockian include:

• Alfred Hitchcock
• Alfred Hitchcock filmography
• Giallo
• Krimi
• Thriller film

• Entertainment Weekly's EW.com feature: What, exactly, makes a film "Hitchcockian?"