One of, if not the...

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2004)

One of, if not the most influential horror movies ever, with many plot devices which have now become clichés, and proving that Hitchcock was the master of all genres. The themes can be talked about over and over, but it is the build up of suspense, coupled with Perkins's performance which keeps it fresh today. Perhaps not jumpy enough for some, although there are plenty of those moments, the film relies on the director's knowledge of the viewer: we are in his hands. Probably my favourite scene-when Bates bursts out of an upstairs room, with the overhead shot. Deliberately gritty and bleak, and no pimply teens to be found...those were the days. 9 out of 10