Psycho (1960) - Will's Review

Once again, I'm going to assume that if you're reading this you have either seen Psycho, or absorbed enough horror knowledge to have had it spoiled for you.

On the off chance that you are in that 0.01% of the population who do not know what surprises the movie holds, please I BEG YOU go and see it now... You camera check out my spoiler-free notes on my own blog HERE, but please, please, read no more on the subject than that until you have seen this masterpiece.

As well as the undeniable genius Hitchcock brought to the table, he had much to work with in for form of Robert Bloch's novel which, while IMO not the best written book, gives its story over to the movie almost unchanged. Hitch may have had the balls to bring such big ideas (killing your leading lady a third of the way into the movie, that twist ending) to the screen; but they were Bloch's ideas.

Anthony Perkins is the jewel in the crown of a perfectly cast movie, deviating wildly from Norman's description in the book, he brings a superb awkward naivety to the roll, while the air that something may just be simmering under the surface is all too believable.

If you haven't seen it, you must; even having absorbed enough of the plot through osmosis to lessen its impact, Psycho remains a lesson in filmmaking.