Psycho

1960.

#18 / #14

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) hides away at a hotel after embezzling money from her boss. After Marion is murdered at the hotel, her sister Lila (Vera Miles) visits the hotel in the hopes of finding the killer.

Eddie: When I first saw PSYCHO on the big screen, I jumped in fright a few times. It's Hitchcock at his best. He draws out suspense better than anyone that came before him or anyone that's come since. While it's easy to compare PSYCHO to low-budget zombie movies like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or slasher films like TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, PSYCHO is much more psychological than either of those two. Sure, there is the now-trite theme of sex causing violence, but overall, PSYCHO is a psychological thriller - not a B-horror movie.

The unsung hero in PSYCHO, as in most Hitchcock films, is composer Bernard Herrmann. You can't think of PSYCHO without the violins of the Shower Scene, and the chilling simplicity of the score is a credit to Herrmann.

Sarah: I honestly don't know why Anthony Perkins didn't win an Oscar for this role. He is the first person to really play that type of troubled on the big screen, and his performance has become the go-to example for actors since.

I think the best thing about this film is true of many Hitchcock films. The scary comes after the movie is over, when everything Hitchcock has been planting catches up to you. Then you realize how truly brilliant he is.

Why You Should See It: The obvious reason is The Shower Scene, but I think that the scene much later in the film, when Mrs. Bates is unmasked, is a far more powerful scene.