An Excellent,Scary And Landmark Horror Masterpiece And One Of The Greatest Films Ever Made. Alfred Hitchcock At His Best.

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2013)

Psycho is an excellent,scary and landmark Horror Masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made that is filled with amazing direction,a terrific cast,a fantastic script and a masterful score. All of those combinations make Psycho not only a masterpiece of Horror cinema,but also a masterpiece of cinema in general and is Alfred Hitchcock at his very best.
Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch,Psycho tells the story of Marion Crave(Janet Leigh),a real estate office secretary that has been given 40,000$ in cash to take to the bank but when Marion doesn't do so,Marion takes the money and goes on the run. Scared and tired,Marion decides to stop at a Motel ran by Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins),a young man that runs the Motel and takes care of his Mother. The stay at the Motel leads to horrific and strange turn of events.
What can be said about Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho that hasn't been said before? The film is a flawless Masterpiece of cinema and is one of the greatest,scariest and most iconic movies of all time and is the first modern Horror movie that changed the Horror genre as we know it. Prior to Psycho,Horror movies from the 1930s to the 1950s had been done by Universal Films and Hammer Pictures and Horror films mostly dealt with monsters like Zombies,Vampires,Werewolves and creatures from outer space or were set in the 18th or 19th century in castles. But then in 1960 Psycho came out and changed Horror films forever and brought Horror into the modern world and gave viewers a different kind of monster which was a human being and Psycho would set the standard for Horror and Suspense Thrillers that came after Psycho and despite Hitchcock giving cinema many classics and Masterpieces Psycho is Hitchcock's most famous and iconic film. Psycho is a great film that right from the very beginning the movie pulls you into a frightening and terrifying nightmare that is relentless and powerful like a tightrope with white hot suspense that never stops until the very end. Psycho is also a great film because it gave audiences a new and different kind of Horror film that breaks all of the rules and conventions that are associated with Horror and Hollywood films with Hitchcock make people think the film is going to go one way when it goes another and the film gives you a sense of dread and offers no salvation or happiness. The scary and suspenseful scenes in Psycho are done with great timing and much detail and when the scary scenes happen they hit you like an unexpected punch in the face and your heart will be racing because with each scary and suspenseful scene Hitchcock is frightening you not only physically but mentally as well. The style and brilliance of Psycho would influence Horror films and Thrillers that came out years after Psycho's release. Probably the scariest and most suspenseful scene in the film is the famous shower scene,a classic and iconic scene that Hitchcock filmed with such a masterful stroke using clever camera angles and tricks making you watch in awe and terror. It's a scene you will never forget and will change the way you take showers forever. While the film is scary,Psycho wouldn't be as nearly scary without the atmosphere. During the 1950s,Alfred Hitchcock had filmed his movies in color but with Psycho Hitchcock filmed this movie in Black & White thanks to Jack L. Russell's beautiful and visually stunning photography which gives the movie a dark and beautiful Film Noir look that is harsh and bleak almost like you're in a living nightmare. The main characters in Psycho are wonderful because they are not Horror movie stereotypes or Cartoons but real people that viewers will relate to because of the horrific and dangerous situations that happen in the film. The screenplay by Joseph Stefano is amazing and memorable,with Stefano giving the main characters dialog that is tight and incredible. The ending of Psycho is amazing,scary and is an ending you won't expect or see coming. The ending of Psycho is twisted and shocking and is one of the things that makes Psycho a masterpiece.
The whole cast is great. Anthony Perkins is excellent and iconic as Norman Bates,with Perkins bringing intensity and power to the role. Janet Leigh is brilliant in her most famous and iconic role as Marion Crane,with Leigh bringing depth and class to the role. Vera Miles is terrific as Lila Crane,Marion's sister. John Galvin is wonderful as Sam Loomis,Marion's boyfriend. Martin Balsam is fantastic as Milton Arbogast,a private detective. John McIntire(Sheriff Al Chambers),Simon Oakland(Dr. Fred Richman),Lurene Tuttle(Mrs. Chambers),Frank Albertson(Tom Cassidy),Patrica Hitchcock(Caroline),Vaughn Taylor(George Lower),John Anderson(California Charlie)and Mort Mills(Highway Patrol Officer)give good performances as well.
The direction by Alfred Hitchcock is excellent and stylish,with Hitchcock constantly moving the camera and using amazing angles giving the film a great visual style and tone while doing a terrific job with the scary and suspenseful scenes. Masterful direction by Hitchcock.
The score by Bernard Herrmann is brilliant,scary,intense and one of the greatest and most iconic scores in movie history and it truly matches the film's dark and frightening tone. Terrific score by Herrmann.
In final word,if you love Alfred Hitchcock,Horror films or movies in general,I highly suggest you see Psycho,an excellent,scary landmark Horror Masterpiece,one of the greatest films ever made that you can watch again and again and is Alfred Hitchcock at his best.