During a rash of murders of young blonde women in London, Daisy (June Tripp) finds herself torn between her Met policeman boyfriend (Malcolm Keen) and a solitary lodger (Ivor Novello). One fits the profile of a serial killer, the other is a solitary lodger.

Inspired by the still relatively recent Jack the Ripper murders, Alfred Hitchcock’s third feature is a fascinating fulcrum from 1927. The Lodger sees silent cinema emerging from the shadow of German expressionism and into the realm of film noir, following the titular tenant into Daisy’s home under the fog of suspicion. It also marks the dawn of classic Hitchcockian themes of wrongful accusation and voyeurism, alongside hints of the suspense that would become his trademark.

This gothic flick finds the 28-year-old director in experimental mood, mixing fast cuts, camera trickery and macabre innuendo to eccentric effect. That testing of techniques also makes the movie tonally foggy, and apparently the studio demanded changes to the ending which robs the story of some its irony and ambiguity. But there are fiercely modern elements to this 100-year-old thriller, with its showgirls stalked by serial killers and braying mob riled up by the media.

Though it lacks the singular darkness of Fritz Lang’s M, this pioneering picture proves that even early Hitch could craft sequences that live in your head rent-free.