Set in the beautiful backdrop of 1960’s Athens, Crete and Istanbul, The Two Faces of January is a suspense master-class that clearly and successfully takes note from Hitchcock's work. For writer/director Hossein Amini it is a solid first feature film.

The Two Faces of January follows Chester and Collette MacFarland as they travel around Europe. But we first catch them in Athens, looking at the ancient Parthenon where they become acquainted with Oscar Issac’s tour guide character, Rydal Kenner. Both Chester and Collette seem quite romantic and Gatsby-eque as Rydal meets them, but once he agrees to show them around it reveals that are hiding a dark secret which endangers them all, and Rydal, who appears to be innocently caught up in it, is not all he seems.

Starring Viggo Mortseon and Kirsten Dunst as the MacFarland couple, The Two Faces of January turns into a thrilling and deceptive tale. Similar to Hitchcock’s work, the film does not need any CGI, explosions and present cinematic effects. Instead it simplistically focuses on the story, where tension and suspense constantly rise - not just because of the consequences of the secret, but also from the love that begins between Dunst and Issac’s characters. Cinematography is crisp and the period is authentic, leaving us with a gripping film that is well worth a watch.