High Anxiety (1977)
A Hitchcock Approved Homage
Overview: A psychiatrist with intense acrophobia (fear of heights) goes to work for a mental institution run by doctors who appear to be crazier than their patients, and have secrets that they are willing to commit murder to keep.
Mel Brooks followed his silent-era tribute (Silent Movie, 1976) with another homage—this time to Hitchcock. High Anxiety is packed with nods to Vertigo, Spellbound, Psycho, The Birds, and more, from plot points to full scene reenactments (the Psycho shower scene parody hadn’t been done to death yet). What puts this one above Silent Movie is that between all the references, it actually feels like a real movie. There’s a proper story with actual characters—not just an excuse to link the jokes.
That story works better than expected, with a tight murder mystery plot that keeps you curious and a minor twist involving a character’s parentage that lands well. Brooks leans into the paranoia and mistaken identity tropes, and even captures some of the frustration of the North by Northwest protagonist when he realizes he’s been framed. In this film’s equivalent moment—when Brooks’ character is set up and you actually feel a little sad for him—you realize that behind all the silliness and references, Brooks has combined the elements into a story that works on its own.
In terms of humor, not every joke hits (a recurring “I got it” gag wears thin, and the newspaper boy bit doesn’t quite land), but most do, with enough memorable moments to leave you satisfied—like the half-mustache being stolen, the girlfriend getting aroused on the phone, or the weird dynamic between the clinic staff. It’s not Airplane!-level rapid-fire laughter, but it lands at least one solid gag every five minutes. The Hitchcock references are smart, the camerawork mimics the style without overdoing it, and the score plays with suspense in a way that feels both affectionate and self-aware.
As a director, Brooks shows surprising control over tone, letting the film shift between parody and genuine suspense with ease. High Anxiety does what great satires should: it doesn’t just mock the genre it’s parodying—it actually becomes a strong example of it.