Review of Psycho (2007) by Keenan S — 16 Mar 2014

Now that I have seen every Psycho film, I think it is appropriate for me to give a review to the original classic. However, that is a bit difficult to do. What should I say that hasn't already been said? I could just leave it at just being not only a perfect horror/suspense film, but also one one of the greatest films ever made, but there should be more to talk about.

If you aren't familiar with the plot, it's about a troubled woman named Marion Crane who makes a fateful decision in the midst of a mid-life crisis to steal $40,000 from a client at the real estate office she works and runs off.

During her run from the law, she stops at the Bates Motel and meets the strange and charismatic Norman Bates. The two have an insightful conversation about one another over dinner, learning about Norman's habits, his ill mother, and his life, while she dodges questions about who she is and why she is running to her own "private island" from her old life.

After their conversation, Marion takes a shower and prepares to return to Arizona to make amends with her family, employer, and the man she stole from...only to be viciously stabbed to death by an unknown assailant.

Norman Bates covers up the crime, but soon Marion's sister, her boyfriend, and a private investigator go in search of her, only to uncover the horrible secrets Norman Bates is keeping in his house of horrors.

Psycho is truly a masterwork of film. It's a film in which every shot feels evocative, and even when scenes of terror aren't happening, or even when characters are only talking to one another, it has a very evocative feel to every shot and every shot has little subtleties and nuances which are fun to look for with each time you watch the film.

The film is also bolstered by the superb performances across the board for every character, but the best performances are truly delivered by Anthony Perkins in his iconic Norman Bates role and Janet Leigh in her role as Marion Crane. These two actors positively dominated the film and made it the classic it is today. They also made their characters surprisingly sympathetic, even through their bad deeds and they also made them feel like real people rather than characters on the screen.

Even when you watch the film multiple times, it's still just as scary, mystifying, engaging, suspenseful, and mysterious as the first time you view it. That's the startling power of this film and it will forever be remembered as the classic it is. If you consider yourself to not only be a true horror fan, but also a real film fan, Psycho is a must-see if you haven't watched it yet. It's truly a five-star masterpiece.