Dead End (1937) - 4/5

This movie takes place during a single day at the end of a waterfront alley in New York, and it delivers on the “knife fight in a phone booth” style of living the various classes of people living there endure every day. The stories weave together nicely to create a stage-play-esque tapestry that balances between the conflict of pathos and the catharsis of justice. It commands strong audience engagement and has a strong ending that may surprise you.

Closest comparison: It’s like Do The Right Thing by way of The Petrified Forest.

Setting: Sitcom
Plot: A Day in the Life
Tone: Crime Noir

Foreign Correspondent (1940) - 4/5

This movie is a rollicking adventure of espionage set at the start World War II. Of course, it was also filmed at the start of World War II so everything has a deeper meaning; to the audience at the time as a call to action, and for those afterward as a tangible snapshot of its time. It looks great because of the dynamic scenes and cinematography, which of course Hitchcock is known for, and this is an exemplary addition to his repertoire. More investigation of espionage than many of its run-and-gun contemporaries, this movie focuses on the human element and tense civilian life while still managing to incorporate both high-flung adventure and the prescient, practical problem of civic duty.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Third Man, The 39 Steps, and North by Northwest.

Setting: Spy
Plot: Detective
Tone: Adventure