1958 Hit Film Was Just Ranked the 'Most Universally Beloved Thriller' of All Time

In general, movie audiences can't help but be drawn to thrillers, with their twisty, often melodramatic plots and heart-pounding moments. In April 2026, the publication Collider released a ranking of the "10 most universally beloved thrillers of all time." The list featured popular suspenseful movies like Se7en from 1995, 2019's Parasite, 1975'sJaws, The Silence of the Lambs from 1991, and 1960's Psycho.

According to Collider, Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece, Vertigo, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, deserves the title of the most beloved film from the thriller genre ever made. The publication complimented the movie, which has a score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, for managing to be gripping throughout its entire two-hour and eight-minute run time.

Kim Novak Shared She Couldn't Help But Identify With Her 'Vertigo' Character

During a 1996 interview with the TODAY show, Novak, who played Judy Barton aka Madeleine Elster, discussed her time filming Vertigo. Novak, now 93, shared that she was immediately interested in the Vertigo script because of the dual nature of her iconic role. She also explained that she empathized with her complex character's motivations and tragic ending.

"Of course, I fell in love with those two roles because it was like an opportunity to voice a lot of myself in the characters. Because, well, so much of [it is] a woman who's calling out to be loved and accepted for herself, and you know, being in the Hollywood system and suddenly, they take you, and they think you have something special, and then they want to change everything special about you," said the actress during the TODAY show interview.

In addition, she said she believed the film has a timeless quality because of Scottie's obsessive relationship with Madeleine, and later Judy. According to Novak, her character simply wanted "to be loved for [herself]" but was willing to conform to what Scottie most desired.

"Sometimes you have to do that. You have to make changes and look different. And everything else. I think it talks to all of us today. I think that's why an audience will always appreciate it," said Novak during the 1996 interview. "It deals with psychosis and neurosis and compulsive obsessions, and those things are so powerful. And they do take charge of our lives."

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 2:56 PM.