Thrilling and chilling

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2015)

Psycho is one of the best thriller movies. It deserves its iconic place in movies history. Everything in this movies feels creepy. The lighting is foreboding. The strange camera angles give a sense of foreboding. The performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is what ties this film together. Bates' strange naivety yet obsessive personality is shown through his facial expressions alone. The way the tone of his voice changes when sensitive topics come up has a subtle brilliance. The film does have a few immersion breaking moments. The long overly long fall down the stairs, meant to increase suspense, instead reminds the viewer they are in fact just watching a movie. The quick explanation scene at the end breaks the mood as well. However, the film still thrills perfectly except for a very few short instances.