In the days before iPods, texting, Kindles and Nooks, people actually talked to each other on public transportation. The loss of this innocent small talk is generally looked at as a bad thing, but there’s at least one plus to our modern way of doing things: the risk of accidentally implying to your neighbor that you will kill his father if he murders your wife is much smaller now. That’s the setup for 1951 film Strangers on a Train, one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most devilish thrillers. After this opening sequence, the film is distressingly train-free, but Hitch makes up for it by doubling up on the transportation thrills, staging the film’s climactic confrontation on a runaway carousel.
Top 10 Train Movies
Trains—both deluxe and down-market—have served as prime cinematic locales. TIME takes a look at the best locomotive-heavy films.