Alfred Hitchcock’s “Pyscho” is a cult classic

Director Alfred Hitchcock proves he is worthy of high critical acclaim with his 1960 thriller Psycho, starring Anthony Perkins as “Norman Bates” and Janet Leigh as “Marion Crane.”

The film follows the travels of a young femme fatale, Marion Crane, who leaves Phoenix, Arizona with stolen money, determined to start a new life with her lover in California. One night during a bad storm, Marion turns off the main highway and decides to spend the night at the barren Bates Motel. Norman Bates, an odd young man, and his sickly, domineering mother run a motel. That night Norman and Marion share a dinner together, once Marion returns to her room for a shower, a strange twist of events occur.

This thriller has received a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 8.5/10 on IMDB. Critics have gone on to say that Psycho is “a work of art,” “groundbreaking and ahead of its time” and “… a stone cold classic.”

While I would agree that Hitchcock’s thriller is suspenseful and shocking in some places, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it can compete with any major, modern-day horror movie. Psycho lacks the high-definition filmography that brings a very life-like aspect to contemporary film and that helps readers relate to the film’s characters.

That being said, for it’s time period, Psycho served as a ground-breaking step into the world of horror films. The famous “shower scene” still stands as one of the most chilling scenes in all of cinematic history.

Anthony Perkins puts on a show-stopping performance as the peculiar protagonist Norman Bates. There’s something about the delivery of Perkins’ lines that makes Bates extremely creepy and, at times, uncomfortable for the viewer to watch. Hitchcock’s incorporation of Bates’ appreciation for taxidermy – which isn’t the most popular hobby amongst individuals – makes him appear even more weird to the reader.

Bates’ creepiness is further illustrated in the final scene of the film. Pictured in a jail cell, Bates stares at the camera and, seemingly, into the soul of the viewer. This iconic image has often been recreated since the release of Psycho.

It’s also fair to mention Bates’ overbearing mother, who is never actually seen by the viewers until the shocking reveal at the end of the film. The possible, but uncertain existence of Mother Bates, further adds to the film’s suspense.

Overall, I’d recommend that people watch Psycho; although it’s not as scary as a modern-day horror movie, it’s an appropriate family thriller for this Halloween.