Some movies leave a lasting influence long after the creators have gone. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, a low budget movie shot in black and white with actors from his TV show, would go on to change not just the horror genre, but films in general. 62 years on from its release, the piece feels as vital as ever.
You know the story – the stolen cash, the creepy motel, the shower, the shrieking violins. Marion’s death scene was a shock to the system for cinema in the 60s, with audiences unused to seeing a lead actress killed off half way through a movie.
It still packs a punch today, despite over half a century of analysis and homages. Less talked about is the film’s second half, an agonising detective story where the audience is aware of the killer and knows what lurks behind every door.
Only 28 at the time of filming, Anthony Perkins struggled against typecasting for the rest of his life after finding fame as Bates. Ironically, prior to the role his studio Paramount presented him as a clean-cut romantic lead in the mould of James Stewart.
Psycho still works on the big screen. Its success lies in its ability to find horror in the mundane. Dracula and Frankenstein were abstract, but Bates is a normal looking monster. Despite the chilling final voice over claiming he “wouldn’t hurt a fly”, the true horror of Hitchcock’s masterpiece is that he could be anywhere, just waiting at that next rest stop.
Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror is reviewed on its 62nd anniversary
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