Horror classic that lives up to its reputation.

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 1998)

The best way to approach Psycho would be with no previous knowledge at all. As it is, the shower scene has become one of the most notorious film shots of all-time, and the secret of the Bates family is no longer quite so secretive.
However, even with this in mind, this is an amazing classic : the original horror movie. Hitchcock has always been the master of suspense, and Psycho is just about his most sinister ever. From the Gothic setting - the imposing mansion on the hill - to Norman's boyish manner and tortured intensity, Psycho delivers.
And if it doesn't make you scream (or at least think twice before talking to that self-effacing stranger), nothing will. Psycho truly is an incomparable portrait of a mind twisted into homicidal mania that fully deserves the accolades it has always received.