Peeping Tom was produced and directed by the British director Michael Powell in 1960.  It is 109 minutes long, produced in color, and primarily classified as a horror film. The plot focuses on a young man who is fascinated by women’s facial expressions as they are being murdered. He carries a camera wherever he goes and murders innocent women while he captures their terror and fear on his camera.

Similar to the film Psycho, Peeping Tom was unlike any other cinematic production before the 1960s. The two films differed from other horror films prior to the 1960s because they focused on the “monster” in the film and on the villain being a human being rather than a supernatural being. The “monster” in Psycho, Norman Bates, and the “monster” in Peeping Tom, Mark Lewis, also share a common obsession with their parents.  Additionally, they share similar personalities. Norman and Mark are both shy, quiet, and reserved young men. However, they are secretly psychopathic killers.

In addition to the similarities between the main characters in the film, there is a prevalent theme within the films.  Both films demonstrate voyeurism through the main characters.  The two directors also make the film’s audience become voyeurs by switching the camera angle to make the audience see what the Norman and Mark are watching.

Peeping Tom is a classic horror film that should be seen by viewers who are fascinated by the horror film genre. Those who have seen Psycho can find many additional similarities in Peeping Tom. Although the films were released around the same time, it seems that the directors shared a similar vision for the development of their films.

​