Thrillers are a genre defined by their use of suspense, tension, and excitement. Alfred Hitchcock helped shape the modern thriller genre beginning with his 1926 silent film The Lodger. Robert Siodmak directed the 1940s psychological thriller The Spiral Staircase. Michael Powell's 1960 film Peeping Tom was initially denounced but later gained a cult following despite its gruesome story about a psychopathic killer. Thrillers often take place in exotic settings and involve heroes thwarting enemies while accustomed to danger.