Movie · 1977 · Comedy, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 34m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.1/10 (24.2K ratings)
Danger, intrigue, romance...and a touch of kinkiness!
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.30/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Mel Brooks
Production
Crossbow Productions, 20th Century Fox
Cast
Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey, Howard Morris, Dick Van Patten, Jack Riley, Charlie Callas, Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, Barry Levinson, Lee Delano, Albert Whitlock, Billy Sands, Richard Stahl, Robin Menken, Darrell Zwerling, Murphy Dunne, Al Hopson
Curator Review
Verdict
A clever, affectionate Hitchcock spoof with a few standout set pieces and a very strong supporting turn from Madeline Kahn, but it’s uneven and less consistently funny than Mel Brooks’ best work. Worth it if you enjoy parody, classic suspense references, and broad comic style; less so if you want a tightly paced mystery or top-tier Brooks.
Best for
Hitchcock fans
Viewers who like parody and genre send-ups
Fans of Madeline Kahn
People in the mood for light, old-school studio comedy
Skip if
You want Brooks at his sharpest and most inspired
You prefer fast, modern joke density
You dislike broad slapstick or obvious spoof humor
You need a mystery with real tension
Overview
High Anxiety is Mel Brooks in affectionate imitation mode, aiming his comic arsenal at Hitchcock’s visual grammar, suspense beats, and recurring obsessions. The result is often more charming than devastating, with the movie getting by on the pleasure of recognition as much as on the jokes themselves. When it clicks, it’s a very specific kind of fun: polished, silly, and deeply aware of the films it’s teasing.
Worth noting
The biggest lift comes from the cast, especially Madeline Kahn, who arrives late but immediately changes the temperature of the movie. Brooks also stages a handful of memorable sequences that show real love for the mechanics of suspense, even when the punchlines are hit-or-miss. The film’s weakness is that it can feel like a collection of bits rather than a fully escalating comedy.
Bottom line
If you’re already fluent in Hitchcock, there’s plenty here to enjoy, and the film’s craft keeps it from feeling disposable. But compared with Brooks’ most beloved work, it’s a lighter, looser entry: amusing, occasionally inspired, and more admirable than uproarious.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Quint75 (4★) · 239 likes
Had high anxiety waiting 45 minutes for Madeline Kahn to finally show up as the Hitchcock blonde and then proceed to completely steal the show.
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (3.5★) · 203 likes
Undoubtedly one of Mel Brooks' weaker efforts, but one that has always piqued my interest. I think a lot of it is because I grew up seeing clips of the film on TCM all the time, so in many ways, this is the most ingrained of all the director's films on my mind.
Still, it's Mel Brooks, and the man can't help but be funny. While I didn't laugh aloud, I did find myself chuckling frequently. On a second viewing,… more
Ben Hibburd (3★) · 188 likes
"High Anxiety" represents to me the moment when Mel Brooks started to "lose it" in a sense. Whilst it's a nice tribute to the films and style of Alfred Hitchcock, satirising a handful of his classic films such as "Vertigo," "The Birds," and "Psycho," It doesn't have the blistering social commentary of "Blazing Saddles" or the hilarious belly-aching laughs of "Young Frankenstein." In a sense, it feels like a generic spoof film that's lacking any sort of depth. The film… more "High Anxiety" represents to me the moment when Mel Brooks started to "lose it" in a sense. Whilst it's a nice tribute to the films and style of Alfred Hitchcock, satirising a handful of his classic films such as "Vertigo," "The Birds," and "Psycho," It doesn't have the blistering social commentary of "Blazing Saddles" or the hilarious belly-aching laughs of "Young Frankenstein." In a sense, it feels like a generic spoof film that's lacking any sort of depth. The film… more
Daniel (4★) · 126 likes
"What a dramatic airport!"
Dr. Richard Thorndyke (Mel Brooks) arrives in Los Angeles to take over the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, after its previous director died under mysterious circumstances. Thorndyke is greeted by a hostile staff, and while trying to settle in, is once again confronted with the terrible affliction he's suffering from - high anxiety ...
High Anxiety is a comedy film co-written and directed by Mel Brooks.
Brooks' parodies have always been done with great… more