When people talk about horror films that shocked audiences, titles like The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Hostel might come to mind. But long before these films pushed boundaries, there was Peeping Tom (1960)—a psychological horror movie that was so disturbing for its time that it nearly ended the career of its director, Michael Powell.
Now, if you’re not familiar with Powell, he wasn’t just some random filmmaker. He was a respected name in British cinema, known for stunning, artistic films like The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. But Peeping Tom was a different beast altogether. It told the unsettling story of a serial killer who films his victims as he murders them, capturing the moment of pure fear on their faces. The concept was so controversial that critics didn’t just dislike it but they hated it with a passion.
The film was torn apart in reviews, yanked from theaters, and Powell’s career in Britain was pretty much over after that. Ironically, today it’s considered a horror masterpiece, but at the time? It was seen as sick, perverse, and downright offensive.
So, what went so horribly wrong? Why did this film, which is now praised by directors like Martin Scorsese, get buried so quickly? Let’s dive into the twisted history of Peeping Tom, how it shocked audiences, and why it cost Michael Powell everything.
1. The Film That Was Ahead of Its Time
At first glance, Peeping Tom might sound like your typical serial killer movie. The story follows Mark Lewis, a shy and socially awkward cameraman who works in the film industry. But Mark has a dark secret—he’s obsessed with fear, and he captures it in the most horrifying way possible. He lures women into situations where he can murder them on camera, using a sharpened spike hidden in his tripod. The last thing his victims see before they die is their own terror, reflected back at them through a mirror.
Creepy, right? But here’s what made the film even more disturbing: the audience was forced to see everything through Mark’s perspective. Powell didn’t just tell a story about a murderer—he put the viewer inside the killer’s mind. The movie opens with a first-person shot of Mark stalking and killing a woman. The camera becomes his eyes, making us experience his twisted world firsthand.
This was a bold filmmaking choice, but in 1960, it was way too much for audiences. Horror movies at the time usually had a safe distance between the audience and the monster. Even Psycho, which came out the same year, didn’t make viewers feel like they were inside Norman Bates’ head the way Peeping Tom did.
Another reason the film was unsettling was how human the killer was. Mark wasn’t some inhuman, supernatural force like Dracula or Frankenstein—he was just a regular man with a horrifying obsession. His backstory revealed that his father, a psychologist, used him as an experiment, filming his reactions to fear from a young age. This added an uncomfortable layer of realism that made the film feel more psychological than traditional horror.
At the time, movies were meant to entertain, not challenge audiences in this way. People didn’t go to theaters expecting to feel uncomfortable or complicit in the actions of a serial killer. That’s exactly why Peeping Tom felt so dangerous—it didn’t just show horror, it made people experience it in a way they weren’t ready for.
2. Critical Backlash and Industry Outrage
If Powell thought audiences and critics would appreciate his artistic approach, he was dead wrong. The British press absolutely destroyed the film, and they didn’t hold back. They didn’t just dislike it—they acted like it was a crime against cinema.
One critic from The Tribune called it “a squalid little shocker” and said it should be “shovelled up and flushed away.” Another review described it as “sickening” and “evil”, while The Spectator claimed it had “no redeeming qualities” whatsoever. The worst part? Some of these critics had previously praised Powell’s work, so their reaction felt even more like a betrayal.
The general sentiment was that Peeping Tom wasn’t just a bad film—it was something that shouldn’t exist at all. The moral outrage was intense, with many believing Powell had crossed a line. The idea of making the audience sympathize with a killer, even for a moment, was seen as perverse and irresponsible.
It didn’t help that Powell included a disturbing cameo in the film—he played Mark’s cruel father in the flashback scenes. This made it seem even more personal, as if Powell was exposing his own dark thoughts. Audiences weren’t ready for a movie that blurred the lines between horror and reality like this.
The backlash wasn’t just about words, either. The film was pulled from many theaters within weeks of release. For a director as established as Powell, this was a nightmare. In the blink of an eye, he went from being one of Britain’s most respected filmmakers to a disgraced figure.
It wasn’t just the critics, though. The industry itself turned on Powell. Studios didn’t want to work with him anymore, and future projects fell apart. The message was clear—he had gone too far, and there was no coming back.
3. The Film’s Financial and Commercial Failure
Getting bad reviews is one thing. Plenty of movies receive harsh criticism and still make money (Friday the 13th was called trash when it came out, but it became a massive hit). The problem for Peeping Tom was that the backlash wasn’t just about words—it completely killed the film’s chances of success.
Shortly after its release, Peeping Tom was yanked from theaters. Some cinemas refused to show it at all, while others only ran it for a short time before pulling it due to negative reactions. This meant the movie never got a chance to find an audience. It didn’t just fail—it disappeared.
Financially, it was a disaster. While Psycho (released the same year) became a box-office smash despite its own controversy, Peeping Tom couldn’t recover from the backlash. With no audience support and no studio backing, the film sank into obscurity.
For Powell, this was a nightmare scenario. He had built a career making well-respected films, but now, his name was attached to a movie that had been labeled "filth" and "garbage" by critics. His reputation took such a massive hit that no major studio wanted to work with him anymore.
4. How It Ended Michael Powell’s Career
Before Peeping Tom, Michael Powell was considered one of Britain’s greatest filmmakers. He had co-directed classics like The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus, which were visually stunning, highly praised, and commercially successful. In short, he was a big deal.
But after Peeping Tom, everything changed.
Powell became a pariah in the film industry. Producers and studios who had once been eager to collaborate with him suddenly wanted nothing to do with him. It was as if making Peeping Tom had tainted his entire career.
It wasn’t just the UK film industry, either. Hollywood wasn’t interested in hiring a director whose last movie had been labeled as "sick." Powell’s career collapsed overnight, and he found himself struggling to find work.
For years, he tried to recover, directing a few smaller projects, but nothing ever came close to his earlier successes. His reputation had been permanently damaged, and it seemed like Peeping Tom had killed his career for good.
By the 1970s, Powell had mostly faded into obscurity. He spent much of his later years writing about film and giving lectures, but the days of him directing major films were long gone.
It’s hard to imagine a filmmaker today getting canceled this badly over one film. In modern times, directors can make controversial movies and still bounce back (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was banned in some places, but its director, Tobe Hooper, still had a career). But in 1960? The film industry wasn’t so forgiving. Powell had pushed too far, and the industry shut him out completely.
5. The Film’s Redemption and Cult Status
For years, Peeping Tom was basically forgotten. But then, something unexpected happened—it was rediscovered.
By the 1970s and 1980s, a new generation of filmmakers started reevaluating the movie. One of its biggest champions? Martin Scorsese, the legendary director of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull. Scorsese called Peeping Tom a masterpiece and helped bring attention back to it.
Other filmmakers, especially those working in horror and psychological thrillers, began recognizing Powell’s work as ahead of its time. They saw what critics in 1960 had missed—the film wasn’t just about a serial killer, it was a brilliant exploration of obsession, trauma, and voyeurism.
By the 1990s, the film was officially considered a classic. Critics who had once trashed it now hailed it as a pioneering psychological horror film. It was released on home video, studied in film schools, and widely regarded as an influence on movies like Halloween, Silence of the Lambs, and American Psycho.
Unfortunately, this redemption came too late for Michael Powell. Though he lived to see Peeping Tom get some recognition, he never got the career revival he deserved. By the time the world realized his film was a masterpiece, he was already nearing the end of his life. He passed away in 1990, knowing that Peeping Tom had finally found an audience, but never getting the second chance that other directors might have gotten in a different era.
Conclusion
Peeping Tom is a perfect example of how timing can make or break a movie. Today, it’s widely considered a brilliant, psychological horror classic, but in 1960? It was seen as filth.
Michael Powell paid a huge price for being ahead of his time. His film challenged audiences too much, made them too uncomfortable, and the backlash was so intense that it destroyed his career. It wasn’t until decades later that people finally appreciated his work, but by then, it was too late for Powell to benefit from it.
The irony is that if Peeping Tom had been released in a later era—maybe in the 1970s alongside other dark psychological horrors—it might have been a hit. But in 1960, people weren’t ready for a film that made them sympathize with a serial killer, or forced them to see the world through his eyes.
In the end, Peeping Tom is a film that was misunderstood, buried, and then resurrected. It’s now recognized as one of the most important psychological horror films ever made, but the damage it did to Powell’s career is a reminder that sometimes, being ahead of your time isn’t always a good thing.
0 Comments