Much More a Psychological Thriller Than A Horror

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2008)

This is considered, and rightfully so, the grandfather of all slashers. It IS that. Period. Nothing I say hereafter is designed to lessen that fact.
Psycho is a study of the higher end of the schizophrenic mind, when coupled with some of the more extreme examples of the Oedipus complex. In this example, Norman BECOMES his deceased mother; a mother he killed for bringing confliction and sexual repression into his psyche. Her addition of a new boyfriend into the already sexually muddled situation, added just enough aggression to the mix that it culminated in the murder of both the mother AND the boyfriend, leaving Norman to figure out his own place in the world.
Once Norman decided that his mother was still alive and still instructing him in how to behave in life, dictating his actions, and deciding his fate by committing heinous acts of her own, Norman then adapted himself to fit his mother's teachings and instructions. He thereby molded himself into a serial killer who not only could, but required, the close intimate act of knife work, as that was the only intimacy he was allowed.
And then once he killed, the confliction sets in. Everything is meticulously cleaned up, intimately inventoried, and utterly hidden. The crime scene is lovingly restored to its virginal state, and Normal resumes his otherwise lackluster life.
As a movie, this is a masterpiece no matter what others would say. The pure psychology of the antagonist is case and study for countless students over the nearly fifty years since this hit the big screen. Hitchcock demonstrates a total understanding of the psychopathic mind, and translates that understanding brilliantly to the silver screen.
His choice of Bosco (chocolate syrup) to serve as the blood in the shower scene shows a deeper understanding of the necessary visual dynamics required to propel this into the annals of "classic," regardless of what some naysayers would opine. Psycho IS a classic. It is a classic among Hitchcock's works, among the horror genre, the psychological thriller genre, and among the slasher sub-genre.
No matter how old this is, it still generates a lovely suspense, and stands tall when compared to modern films of the same genre(s).
All in all, this is a great watch, even for a Friday or Saturday night.
It rates a 9.4/10 from...
the Fiend :.