Psycho (1960)

"A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother."

- IMDB

Alfred Hitchcock is the father of suspense. Psycho is probably his most popular film and for good reason. He knows how to manipulate the emotions of the audience and knows how to build tension through every scene. Most people will recognize the main theme and the iconic scene it's used most famously for. You want a classic thriller horror film, Psycho is where it's at.

The most fascinating conflict in the film is Norman vs Mother. As the psychologist explains in the end, whenever Norman encounters a woman he was attracted to, Mother would awaken and feel jealous. It’s implied that Marion was not the first to be murdered by Mother. It’s interesting to see the aftermath of what was probably a series of traumatic experiences throughout Norman’s life enhanced by his isolation. As Norman Bates said himself, “we all go a little mad sometimes.” Ironically, he seemed obliviously by the influence of his Mother’s persona. The most notable aspect of the final scene is the final shot of Norman. He looks directly to the camera with a menacing smile as Mother finishes her dialogue about deceit. And for a split second, there’s an overlap of Norman’s face and the skull of his mother’s, emphasizing the duality of the two in Norman’s mind.

I loved how the murders were filmed. The infamous shower scene begins as Mother approaches in shadow. Then she brutally stabs Marion and each motion of the knife is perfectly harmonized to the intense music. When the detective is murdered, we see Mother approach him with a high angle overlooking the scene. Not once do we see Mother's face until the end when the big twist is revealed. This made mother more menacing as the film tried to drop the façade of Norman's innocence.

Final shout out to Anthony Perkins as the ever iconic Norman Bates. He brilliantly portrayed every side to Norman - the friendly, shy Motel owner; the nervous, innocent witness; and the deranged, psychotic mother. The final shot of him looking into the camera still gives me chills. 

I also recommend Psycho fans to watch the Bates Motel. The writers of that show took so much from the source material while also creating their own narrative and it was great. Freddie Highmore was also a phenomenal Norman and now it's hard for me to not think of him when watching the original film.

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆