“Don't give away the ending- it's the only one we have!” the advertisement for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho decrees. If only that were now possible. I don't know a single person who doesn't know the twist, even if they haven't seen it. I know in my previous review for Rear Window, I stated that what separates Hitchcock from modern horror directors is that he had mastered suspense instead of surprise. While this is still true, the exception to this rule is Psycho. Considering the film remains as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, this is not a fault.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is frustrated. She is sick of her job. Her love, Sam Loomis, can't afford to marry her due to his alimony payments. They are forced to meet at lunch. When she is given $40,000 to deposit for a client, she runs away with it. She fears that she is being followed by a police officer, so she gets a new car with new plates. During a nighttime thunderstorm, she pulls off into the Bates Motel. It is here that we meet Norman Bates, our likable psychotic. The hotel has virtually ceased to exist after the interstate has replaced the old highway. “Oh, we have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 vacancies,” he tells Marion. The area is deserted. Marion can hear Norman's mother yell and berate him from their house behind the motel. When Marion brings this up to Norman, he grows uncomfortable. Angry.

Marion retires for the night. Norman spies on her undressing and getting into the shower. To the audience, this seems perverse, yet the audience commits the same act at the opening of the film where we spy on Marion in her underwear. The same theme, as I stated in my review, was used in Rear Window. Norman snaps. He can't handle another strong woman like his mother. The following “shower scene” s one of the most memorable murder scenes ever committed to film. From here the point of view switches from Marion's to Norman's. We follow him as he tries to cover-up the multiple murders that follow.

One of the reasons Norman Bates is so likable is because he is so... normal. Seemingly, at least. He is quaint. Shy. He gets nervous around a beautiful woman. He is realistic. He is the opposite of Sam, which is probably why he seems so unlikable to the audience. We root for Norman to get away with his crimes. We were a witness to the murders after all. We were there with him.

When legendary French New Wave pioneer Francois Truffaut interviewed Hitchcock about his life's work, he told of a memory he had of when he attended various premiers around the world of Psycho. He told Hitchcock about how no matter where he was, no matter what country he was in, everyone jumped during the same scenes. Everyone gasped during the same. Everyone reacted the same way, no matter the culture. Hitchcock wasn't surprised by this. He told Truffaut that his job as a filmmaker was to manipulate the audience. To know exactly how they would react to exact scenes in the film. This is what made him great. This is what made him legendary.