The one word to describe Suspicion is disappointing. The plot follows Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine as they embark on a relationship together, only for her to find out that he's not all that he seems. She gets suspicious of him and soon begins to fear for her life. Like any Hitchcock, the thrills and suspense are there in full force. The tension ratchets up as the movie slowly but deliberately evolves from an air of unease to outright fear and paranoia, as only Hitchcock knows how to do. The acting was actually quite good (subtle and not overly sensational). I really really loved the character of Beaky--what great comic relief while still maintaining a naturalistic air of realism. He's a caricature, but never feels like it because of the brio and verve in his role.
Being a Hitchcock, albeit an early one, the movie has a lot to live up to. And it does. Up until the final 60 seconds of the film, where it falls completely flat and disgraces itself with a silly, dissatisfying ending. Underwhelming seems too tame a word to describe it. It is so out of left field, coming from such a strong start and from such a standout director, that you are completely blown away by how such a bad ending could have sneaked its way into an otherwise stellar film. I also though the beginning was a bit slow compared to his later, better pieces. Instead of heightened tension, the film started out in an eerily unsettling way because everything about Grant's character was off just a little but you couldn't put your finger on what it was about him. It paced itself well from there and, while it was interesting and effective, it wasn't exactly what I wanted or expected from his movie. Also, the music was a little more gimmicky and less appropriate than in his later ones. I would like to point out that the same basic plot can be found in Nicholas Ray's phenomenal noir In a Lonely Place, which stars Humphrey Bogart. I was enraptured much more and found it thematically richer than this film; I highly recommend it. If Suspicion's plot attracts you to it, go see In a Lonely Place instead. You will not regret it.IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0034248/