Psycho

97%

Tomatometer

118 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.

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Critics Consensus

Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

The impeccable craft of Alfred Hitchcock is showcased even more effectively here, in the director’s take on a B-movie, than it is in many of his loftier projects.

Sep 28, 2023

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Not that [Marion] or we are guilty of the horrors [Norman] is, but this is a movie fundamentally about shame, of which guilt is an inextricable component.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 10, 2023

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Peter John Dyer

Sight & Sound

Psycho comes nearer to attaining an exhilarating balance between content and style than anything Hitchcock has done in years. Of course, it is a very minor work. But its virtues of tension, surprise, virtuosity and control are all major ones.

Jan 11, 2020

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Chris Barsanti

PopMatters

Murder might have been rife in Hitchcock's earlier work, but the gutting sense of random mortality in 'Psycho' is as far as one can get from the semi-jocular bloodless deaths of 'Strangers on a Train' and 'The Trouble with Harry.'

Jan 8, 2025

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Sarah Marloff

Washington City Paper

...remains one of the most unnerving moments in film history and Norman Bates still gets under your skin in the creepiest ways...

Sep 23, 2024

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Anthony Perkins' iconic performance makes Norman Bates one of the most indelible villains in cinematic history. And the camerawork, direction and dialogue in his scenes all give the viewer a unique sense of intimacy with Norman and his troubled psyche.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 5, 2024

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Audience Reviews

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Joan G The movie Psycho is a masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock, who knows how to use dreary lighting and eerie special effects to punctuate this movie with pure terror. Even Janet Leigh was so terrified when playing the shower scene (where she was viciously stabbed) that she never took a shower again. (I dont blame her!) I highly recommend this 1960 movie! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/26/24 Full Review Beth C Great suspense! Watch from beginning. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/24/24 Full Review Paynereviews Alfred Hitchcock is undoubtedly the master of suspense. He makes a lot of bold decisions throughout this film that would become staples in the horror genre. He uses the audience as a tool, he uses expectations to power moment after moment creating one of the best villains with the unseen Norma Bates constantly keeping the audience guessing as to when she'll show up again. Norman Is a sympathetic character the shock on his face as the bodies start to drop is fantastic, Anthony Perkins put his all into this performance. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/22 Full Review Paul My favorite movie!! Classic ) Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/08/21 Full Review Shaun R I understand that no one had ever seen a movie like this at the time which I understand is why people would give it 5 starts. I’d also give it 5 stars for how it shaped horror cinema. However, for what it is now, unfairly I’ll give it 3 stars. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review Audience Member As someone that doesn't like black and white movies, Hitchcock was able to capture my attention the entire movie. This movie has twists that I wasn't expecting and allowed you to get a sense of how Psycho Norman Bates truly was. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/23/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Psycho

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Cast & Crew

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Alfred Hitchcock Director Anthony Perkins Norman Bates Janet Leigh Marion Crane Vera Miles Lila Crane John Gavin Sam Loomis Martin Balsam Det. Milton Arbogast

Movie Clips

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Psycho

Psycho: Official Clip - She Wouldn't Even Harm a Fly