Psycho Review: Hitchcock's Shocking Game-Changer
9/10 — Psycho (1960)
Pros
- Hitchcock's brilliant suspense
- Perkins's unsettling Norman
- Herrmann's iconic score
Cons
- Clumsy explanatory ending
After stealing money from her employer, Marion Crane checks into the remote Bates Motel, run by the shy, odd Norman Bates. Alfred Hitchcock shot it in black and white on a modest budget, and it changed horror forever.
What works
The film’s structure is daring, killing off its apparent star early, and the shower scene is a lesson in editing. Anthony Perkins is brilliantly strange, and Bernard Herrmann’s screeching strings are unforgettable. Hitchcock builds suspense from small details.
Where it falters
The final psychiatric explanation is clumsy, and some of the dialogue is stilted by modern standards.
Verdict
A masterclass in suspense that remains shocking, over sixty-five years later.
