Psycho is a refreshing example of true horror and intensity

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2009)

Marion Crane (Leigh) runs away from her job and life with a huge amount of money at her disposal when she stops at the Bates hotel and meets troubled Norman (Perkins) When exploring the most successful horror films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho will more than likely crop up amongst others including Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street or Scream. There have been many changes to the genre over the last couple of decades, perhaps the most significant when the genre went digital with the psychologically frightening Blair Witch Project. But as times grow many horrors are spurned with little effect on the viewers who expect someone hiding with typical music and degrading stereotypes, for example The Hole.
Psycho, released in the early 1960's, may have lost an edge in sharpness with technology inevitability taking control over scares but the shock and drama encoded remain intact and is still a favourite amongst horror fanatics and the shower scene is still debated as one of Alfred Hitchcock's best.
Starting off Psycho sets Janet Leigh and John Gavin debating their future and soon Leigh has money and sets off on her own. This act of selfishness and greed brings viewers right up to scratch as her angelic image is far from her devilish actions and we soon have a thriller on our hands. And soon we also have Anthony Perkins to contend with.
Perkins brings a sharp and twisted shock to the story with a disturbing portrayal of a lonely man wanting company and as we see his stalkerish obsession mixed with his bizarre hobby we dive right into the infamous scene and the shock will surprise and entertain you with a swirling and dramatic depiction of the consequences by Hitchcock.
Again the English director shows a sharp intensity in story telling with fast moving montages and a clever use of bird eye view angles to capture the shocking story in its full intensity.
This horror drama has one of the finest musical scores I personally have ever heard for such a genre. The opening sharp cut title sequences and credits role with a finely established mixture of sophistication and sharpness that generates a feeling of excitement and tension to set you up for the film.
As far as horror films go these days you will see a helpless stereotype waiting for the inevitable to happen. Therefore it is refreshing to know that some classic horrors will still shock and surprise and Psycho is at the top of that list.