It may be over 70 years old, but film fans are convinced that this thriller is one of the greatest ever made.
And now, you can judge for yourself, as it’s available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Released in 1954, Rear Window is directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who is still widely regarded as one of cinema’s most influential filmmakers, his career spanning six decades and including the likes of Rebecca (1940), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Its gripping plot tells the story of a wheelchair-bound photographer recovering from a broken leg. Out of boredom, he spends his time people-watching from the window… but things get interesting when he begins to suspect one of his neighbours of murder.
After witnessing what he believes was a crime, the newspaper snapper (named L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies) takes it upon himself to solve the mystery with the help of his wife and his nurse.
However, he must avoid being killed himself.
The American mystery thriller film is based on the Cornell Woolrich 1942 short story It Had to Be Murder, and the cast includes James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr, and Thelma Ritter.
Director Hitchcock, who died in 1980, also makes a cameo at one point, seen winding a clock.
Throughout his career, Hitchcock made brief appearances in 40 of his films, a tradition that seemingly began by chance when he filled in for an actor who failed to show up on The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog.
While its initial budget was $1million (£760k), Rear Window went on to gross $27m (£20.5m) during its release ($316m, aka £240m, as of 2024), and it’s maintained a loyal fanbase ever since.
What makes the story so interesting is that it is shot almost entirely from within one room and from the point of view outside the window.
This is just one of the elements that contribute to many regarding it as Hitchcock’s finest work, with critics in 2025 still declaring it a landmark in cinematic history.
Rear Window earned four Academy Award nominations, and today it sits with near-perfect scores on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have collectively scored it at 99%, while audience reviews accumulate to an equally respectable 95%.
Among the thousands of comments are plenty of five-star reviews, as cinephiles brand it a true ‘classic’ and praise its ability to build suspense.
‘The shots, angles, lighting, music, performance… everything is perfect’, writes Gizela E.
Thomas W S echoes: ‘I re-watch this film whenever I want a reminder of what great writing, directing, acting, and craftsmanship in the art of film-making can achieve. . And an absolute must-see.’
‘Hitchcock classic. Essential and unmissable’, writes Faiz D.
‘This stands the test of time. It really is what cinema should be. Entertaining, contemplative, gripping, and beautiful. Highly recommend’, says HameZz O.
Others argue that anyone who hasn’t seen the film is ‘missing out’, insisting it only ‘gets better’ the more you watch it with time.
As for movie critics, Wendy Ide of The Times says Rear Window is ‘perhaps the most elegant and satisfying of Alfred Hitchcock’s thrillers’, and Gerard Far of the Guardian says the final scenes alone are ‘as good as anything in Hitchcock’s long list of exciting finishes’.
Having become a classic, Rear Window was adapted into a made-for-television crime drama in 1998, directed by Jeff Bleckner and using the same story.
It starred Christopher Reeve in one of his final screen roles, with the actor receiving a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award win as a result.
Watch Rear Window on Amazon Prime Video.
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