Psycho

I honestly think “Psycho” (1960) is one of the best horror movies ever made. I was just thinking how crazy it is that something from this long ago held up this well. From the moment it started with that eerie score and black-and-white style, I was hooked to be honest. The whole first half with Marion Crane stealing the money and hitting the road felt like a completely different movie — like a crime thriller — and then it suddenly shifted into full-on horror once she arrives at the Bates Motel. That shower scene is just perfect. The quick cuts, the music stabbing like the knife itself, and the fact you never actually see the blade hit her… it’s genius. Going into this movie that scene was the only thing I knew about it. I love that Hitchcock managed to make something so disturbing without showing anything too graphic. The story itself is honestly so ahead of its time. I love how it plays with expectations — you spend so much time following Marion and then she just dies halfway through. That twist alone blew my mind. And Norman Bates… easily one of the most fascinating characters in horror. Anthony Perkins nails that shy, polite, but slightly off vibe that makes him both likeable and creepy at the same time. The whole idea of him being “Mother” and how that gets revealed at the end is just perfect. It’s not just a twist for shock value — it actually ties into his psychology and made me think back on everything you saw before in a new way. The one big thing I got out of this film, was how much it made me think. Both what’s going to happen next—and also once the movie was finished, I was thinking about what I just witnessed. There’s also a ton of smaller moments that really stuck with me. The scene where the car almost doesn’t sink into the swamp after Norman cleans up the murder had me tense as hell. Or the way the camera lingers on the house on the hill — it’s such great image. Even the quieter parts, like when Norman talks about his mother during dinner with Marion, felt loaded with tension. The dialogue and pacing was just so tight. And the music… that screeching theme gave me chills. If I had to nitpick any negatives, I’d say a few of the police or investigation scenes in the second half drag a little, especially compared to how intense majority of the movie is. The psychiatrist explanation at the end also felt a bit unnecessary — like, I didn’t really need it all spelled out when the twist already landed perfectly. He was basically just overdoing it. But honestly, those are minor things. Everything else — the atmosphere, the editing, the writing, the shock factor — it’s all pretty much flawless. This isn’t just a great old horror movie; it still felt powerful and unsettling today. It’s easily one of my favourite horror films ever made.