Psycho

A young woman (Janet Leigh), on the run after stealing a large sum of money from her employer, makes a fateful stop at the Bates Motel.

Psycho, for better or worse, ushered in the modern horror film. The monster wasn’t easily dismissed as supernatural, easily recognized as Karloff in make-up or Lugosi in a cape; no, in Psycho the monster was the quiet boy next door, who never harmed a fly.

Anthony Perkins is terrific, managing to be both boyishly charming and sinister at the same time. His performance ranks as one of the screen’s best villains, and set the standard for many knock-off’s to come.

Putting aside the famous shower sequence, which still holds up nearly 50 years later thanks to some great editing and sound effects, Psycho remains a gripping thriller that works largely because it’s so well put together.

Everything leading up to the shower sequence pays off later in the film, but in a totally unexpected way. From the unwanted police attention to Janet Leigh’s character’s attempt to get rid of her car, these all come back post-shower, but light-years removed from the way the audience would expect. Director Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter Joseph Stefano play the part of grand illusionist; deftly redirecting the audience’s attention only to surprise them with the results.

About the only thing wrong with Psycho is the ending. There’s a long-winded speech from one of the doctors that spells-out the film’s underlying psychiatric basis. Not only is it wordy; it robs the film of a lot of its impact. Horror is best when it’s random. A clinical explanation for the events of the film doesn’t add to the story, it only makes it easier for us to sleep at night.