Spoiler Warning in case there is anyone left who hasn’t seen Psycho, the following contains spoilers.
Psycho (1960) follows a mysterious string of murders at the Bates Motel, where multiple characters interact with the motel’s owner while they attempt to steal/return a large amount of money. In what has become a major trope in horror films of today, the film features a strong sense of character despite not having a traditional protagonist for much of the film. As much as the film is about the mystery and ubiquitous sense of dread, it is also about the scummy world we live in, with almost all of the characters having less than honorable desires when they reach the motel.
What makes this film feel so horrific is how solidified it is in the real world. The sense of dread is built purely from the fact that Norman Bates arrives on the scene acting bizarre prior to the start of the murders. Much of this dread comes across because audiences know how people would act in everyday situations, with Norman immediately presenting himself as a bit different. But beyond that, the film really only plays coy when it comes to the final twist, with every other aspect focusing on the characters. The director, Alfred Hitchcock, uses this to bewilder audiences, creating a style of film that was coined, a psychoanalytical thriller.
The most iconic scene is the shower scene, where Norman Bates sneaks into Marion’s bathroom, committing the first murder of the film. For many audiences, this scene embodies the entire film, with the idea of making something so normal as a shower into the scene of something truly horrific. This really exemplifies the true horror in this film, causing audiences to forever fear showering alone with no one in the home. This is the magic of the film, creating horror where most people would not find it.
This scene also sets something important in motion that most viewers would overlook, the fear of the unknown. When something as private and sacred as a shower gets obstructed and turned into such a horrific scene, anything seems possible in the rest of the film. Audiences start to feel like the killer may show up at any moment, especially when it is the least expected. It is worth noting that this is now commonplace in any horror movie, with much more graphic scenes; however, this was really the first time that audiences witnessed something like this on a major motion picture. Hitcock was well known for skirting the lines of what was allowed to be shown in film at the time, and this film shows him taking that all to the edge.
The other part of this film that creates a whole new sense of dread is the twist ending. Towards the end of the movie, characters start to question Norman’s relationship with his mother, only to learn that she has been dead for the last decade. This leads to the iconic reveal that Mrs. Bates’ body has been mummified and Norman has had some sort of psychotic break that led him to believe he is his mother at times. The horror that comes here is much like the concepts set up earlier in the film, with a sense of dread coming from something most audiences take for granted, trust in others. The idea that the owner of a motel in the middle of nowhere is actually a serial murderer really starts to make the viewer question that sense of calm they feel in interacting with anyone in public.
While it was later explored in the Bates Motel TV show, the idea of Norman succumbing to this psychotic break after a strained relationship between he and his mother really makes that sense of dread hit all that much better. There is no wonder that this film struck such a note at its time, and that it still holds true today as one of the all time greatest. The ideas and concepts, although novel at the time, have become tropes and themes in a plethora of other horror films to follow, with this film paving the way for a new break in the genre, new possibilities in film, and the possibilities that come with playing with the things that make people feel comfortable.