A new and altogether different screen excitement!
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
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Character
Earnest, grave, bleak and meticulous.
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- warmbleak
- rawmeticulous
- intimateepic
Who loves it, who doesn't
83 profiled raters. Loved most by The Provocateurs; disliked most by The Comfort Seekers.
Where do you stand?
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“Is this Alfred Hitchcock's best work?”
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“Is Marion Crane the real protagonist?”
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“Is the killer the star?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- Sharpdon57on TMDB · Sep 202610/10
The fact that i literally watched half of this movie in an airport does not deduce from this movie's undeniable cheek, ascending it to almost charming. I've very little to say despite loving this film so much. Anthony Perkins supplies a riveting performance that must be the best in all of cinema, and the twists and turns of this smart thriller are incredible, and keep you hooked until the final cruel turn. The thing that elevates this above Hitchcock's other works for me is how he sets up his MacGuffin, a term he coined, and then actually destroys the object he invented himself to keep audiences hooked! There is a great deal more to this film than the shower scene and Norman Bates's villain role, with the chilling and exciting atmosphere and jagged strings easily making it my 2nd favourite film of all time.
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · May 20228/10
There is so much more to this film than just that famous scene in the shower - and so much of it belongs to the marvellous scoring of Bernard Herrmann. His ability to use those screeching strings, and the pace of his music does so much of the heavy lifting that gives this film a sense of accumulating menace that makes it still, after over 60 years, a masterful piece of cinema. Janet Leigh wants to make a go of things with her cash-strapped hunky boyfriend "Sam" (John Gavin) so when an unexpected opportunity arises at work that puts $40,000 in her lap, she skips town and takes refuge during a thunderstorm at the "Bates" motel where she encounters "Norman" (a very handsome looking Anthony Perkins). The rest you will just have to watch for yourself, but the story has just about everything you could want from a thriller: a fella with a bit of a "mummy" syndrome; some good old fashioned larceny; lust and though I didn't quite love the ending, it is a superbly dramatic piece of well considered and constructed cinema that cleverly builds on what is quite a simple story with a strong and convincing cast. Big screen if you can; that house on the hill looks more eery that way. Great stuff!
Read the whole review on TMDB - Wuchakon TMDB · Aug 20189/10
“We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?” A Phoenix secretary, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), embezzles $40,000 and rashly flees town, ending up at a remote motel in Fairvale, California, where she encounters the eccentric Mama’s boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Mixed into this web is a private investigator (Martin Balsam), Marion’s sister (Vera Miles) and Marion’s secret beau (John Gavin). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on Robert Bloch’s book, “Psycho” made a huge impact when it was released in 1960. It contains a plot development that was groundbreaking at the time shared by England’s “City of the Dead” (aka “Horror Hotel”), which went into production six weeks earlier than “Psycho” and was released in the UK at the same time, but not in America until 2 years later. While they’re both good, “Psycho” is way superior. It was followed by three sequels (1983, 1986 and 1990), the last being a semi-prequel, all starring Anthony Perkins as Norman with Vera Miles returning for the first one. One thing I don’t like is that it was shot in B&W. Check out the sequels and the 1998 remake to observe the same settings in living color. The film runs 1 hour, 49 minutes and was shot pri
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Cast
- Anthony PerkinsNorman Bates
- Janet LeighMarion Crane
- Vera MilesLila Crane
- John GavinSam Loomis
- Martin BalsamMilton Arbogast
- John McIntireAl Chambers
- Simon OaklandFred Richman
- Frank AlbertsonTom Cassidy
- Patricia HitchcockCaroline
- Vaughn TaylorGeorge Lowery
Crew
- Alfred HitchcockDirector
- Joseph StefanoScreenplay
- Robert BlochNovel
- John L. RussellDirector of Photography
- Bernard HerrmannOriginal Music Composer
- George TomasiniEditor
- Alfred HitchcockProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The Black Cat 193476% alikeBoth grave, bleak, earnest.
You Only Live Once 193775% alikeBoth grave, earnest, bleak.
The Night of the Hunter 195574% alikeBoth grave, meticulous.
Night of the Living Dead 196874% alikeBoth grave, earnest, bleak.
Mildred Pierce 194573% alikeBoth grave, earnest.
Bad Day at Black Rock 195573% alikeBoth grave, earnest.
Brute Force 194773% alikeBoth grave, earnest, bleak.
High Noon 195272% alikeBoth grave, earnest, meticulous.
The English 202272% alikeTelevision · Both grave, earnest.
A Way Out 201867% alikeGame · Both grave, earnest.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
