Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom is a 1960 horror movie, a thriller film about a serial killer. Not at all gory, but quite disturbing.

The Guardian says, "if anything deserves the "dark masterpiece" tag, this does: a brilliant satirical insight into the neurotic, pornographic element in the act of filming, more relevant than ever in the age of reality television and CCTV" and includes it on a list of best horror films of all time.

The Telegraph says,

In a modern reading of the film, we can suggest Powell was asking his audience direct questions: you may be horrified by what you see (the shocks, the grisly murders), but to what extent are you complicit in agreeing to sit and watch? Is there are a part of you that secretly enjoys the carnage being served up for your entertainment?

Senses of Cinema has an article which concludes, "Peeping Tom remains an unsettling, disturbing, and unforgettable psychological and visual exploration into the sadistic obsession with fear experienced by a psychopathic killer" and includes this:

Comparisons can be made between Peeping Tom and Psycho, as both these films share a fascination with voyeurism. The two main characters of Peeping Tom and Psycho (Mark and Norman Bates respectively) are both voyeurs. However, Powell takes this voyeuristic notion significantly further in Peeping Tom by implicating both himself and the spectator

It's on Roger Ebert's list of Great Movies. He says, "It was so loathed on its first release that it was pulled from theaters, and effectively ended the career of one of Britain's greatest directors" and "His film is a masterpiece precisely because it doesn't let us off the hook, like all of those silly teenage slasher movies do. We cannot laugh and keep our distance: We are forced to acknowledge that we watch, horrified but fascinated."

Rotten Tomatoes has a critics rating of 96%.