A Descent Into Madness

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2019)

Like many Hitchcock films, Psycho plays upon the theme of an emotional mood or effect. Much like Hitchcock's The Birds, the eerie silences create tension and suspense leaving the viewers in anticipation of what might be coming next. Hitchcock further immerses the viewer into a state of suspense with clever editing that accentuates the character's perspective and puts the viewer in the place of the characters on screen.
Psycho follows the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and the unfortunate events that follow her meeting of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Marion Crane works a normal day job in Phoenix, Arizona but is unhappy in her romance with the Sam Loomis (John Gavin). Sam is facing a great deal of debt and doesn't have the financial means to get married. On one normal day at the office, Marion is asked to make a $40,000 cash deposit on her way home from work. Marion decides to pack her suitcase and take the money in hopes that this will allow her and Sam to run away together.
Once on the road, a heavy rainstorm forces Marion to lose her way on the road. She decides to stop at an isolated hotel off the road. Marion checks into the Bates Motel and meets Norman Bates. Norman is a seemingly nice young man who tends to the hotel and his ailing mother who lives in the house just behind the motel. Marion and Norman have a meal together and after hearing Norman's tale and thinking about her own decisions, Marion decides she will return to Phoenix with the money in the morning.
Unfortunately, while Marion is taking a shower a shadowy figure enters the bathroom and stabs her to death. Norman runs to the room and discovers Marion's lifeless body lying on the floor. He collects her belongings and with the body, loads them in the trunk of her car and disposes of the vehicle in a local pond. Weeks later, Lila Crane (Vera Miles), Marion's sister, arrives to speak with Sam to determine whether he knows the whereabouts of Marion. The two are approached by Private Investigator Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) who has been hired to return the money to Marion's employer.
Milton Arbogast is convinced that Sam and Lila are unaware of Marion's location and he decides to start checking on all the roadside motels to determine if she stopped anywhere. Milton Arbogast finds his way to the Bates Motel where he meets Norman Bates. After a tense conversation, Milton discovers that Marion had indeed stayed at the motel. He finds a pay phone to let Sam and Lila know that he will be checking in with them, but that he had to check out the hotel again. Milton Arbogast decides to check out the home above the Bates Motel to speak to Norman's mother. As he walks up the staircase, a woman comes out of a room and murders him.
Sam and Lila go to search for the missing Arbogast and arrive at the Bates Motel. They meet Norman and create a ruse for Sam to occupy Norman, while Lila goes to the house to look for Arbogast. Norman figures out what's going on and knocks out Sam. Meanwhile, Lila searches the house and finds nothing. As she hears Norman entering the house, she hides in the basement. In the basement, she finds the corpse of what appears to be Mrs. Bates. As she screams, we see Norman wearing his mother's clothes coming at her with a knife. Sam arrives just in time to stop Norman. The police take Norman into custody, where we find out Norman's mother personality has taken over his mind.
Psycho is an excellent film that will keep the viewer on the edge of their seats. The audience will delve into madness with Norman and make you forever cautious of stopping by a roadside motel.