Tony Perkins at his creepy best

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 1999)

Watch Psycho and you'll find yourself glued to Anthony Perkins very strange Norman Bates. He's a quiet lad, takes care of the hotel and his sick mother. A bit odd, but nice enough. Of course, we don't know what Norman's been up to in that old house. Perkins allows Norman Bates to get under your skin, and he stays there. He tricks you with politeness and sincerity, then his creepieness seeps in. Shot on a very small budget, with the crew from the Alfred Hitchcock Presents tv show, Psycho is the ultimate low budget horror flick. But what Hitchcock was able to do, it take horror out of the shadows, and shine light on it. The real shock in Psycho comes at the end, where Norman is sitting there in the holding room. Watch closely, and you'll see just how powerful "Mother" really is. Truly creepy.