North by Northwest (1959)

Why a crop duster? Nobody in North by Northwest explains why the bad guys pick the slowest, loudest way to get rid of a man standing alone in an empty field, and Hitchcock doesn’t care, because the scene is perfect. That’s the whole movie: a plot held together with wishes and charm. Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill as a guy whose biggest worry used to be a lunch meeting, and watching that smooth confidence get dented is a joy. Eva Marie Saint matches him line for line on the train, with flirting so bold it still feels modern. The weak spots: the driving scenes are shot in front of screens so obvious they look like a slideshow, and the romance goes from hello to forever in one train ride. Critics gave it 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 9.4 because it’s the blueprint for a whole genre and still more fun than most of what it inspired. $709 says you hear a small plane overhead this week and scope out the nearest ditch.

What works: Cary Grant is effortlessly cool, and the crop duster chase and the auction house escape are master classes in mixing suspense with comedy.

What doesn’t: The romance rushes from hello to forever in one train ride, and the fake-looking driving scenes date it badly.

Who it’s for: Anyone who loves a spy movie and wants to see where half the genre’s tricks came from.