The Lodger: a Story of the London Fog (PG)

Stranger in the night: Alfred Hitchcock's early silent movie 'The Lodger: a Story of the London Fog'

Hitchcock described this silent of 1927 as the first "true" movie of his career. It foreshadows elements of his later work, being the story of a killer whose victims are all blonde, with a "hunted man" theme attached.

It's also notable for the presence of matinee idol Ivor Novello as the gimlet-eyed stranger, an early indication of Hitchcock's perverse casting instincts.

Newly restored by the BFI National Archive, it comes adorned with a fresh orchestral score by Nitin Sawhney. The film creaks a fair bit, and isn't a patch on his mature phase. But it's a must for devotees.