Psycho

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6:31

Psycho

R

Released Jun 16, 1960

1h 49m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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Wendy Ide

The 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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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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 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

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Beth C

Great suspense! Watch from beginning.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/24

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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 out of 5 stars

10/12/22

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Paul

My favorite movie!! Classic )

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/08/21

Full Review

JP K

Hitch created one of those, "Before & After" works of art; there were horror movies before Psycho.... it stands as a lone achievement, it's that good, one that will be talked about forever, particularly among filmmakers, and especially those who want to make horror. An absolute masterpiece. And to think, he shot it with his TV crew!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

M M.

This movie was surprisingly decent. We did not expect a movie from this time period to actually be good. It makes us want to watch more movies from the 1960s. For the time, it was pretty good. We feel like it set the tone for these types of films going forward. Sound effects and music were great aspects of this movie!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

Full Review

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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

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

1:43

Psycho: Official Clip - A Boy's Best Friend

2:11

Psycho: Official Clip - I'm Not Capable of Being Fooled

1:58

Psycho: Official Clip - We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes

2:02

Psycho: Official Clip - Norman Finds the Body

0:50

Psycho: Official Clip - Peeping on Marion

0:38

Psycho: Official Clip - People Just Come and Go

2:59

Psycho: Official Clip - The Truth About Mother

1:42

Psycho: Official Clip - The Bates Motel

2:55

Psycho: Official Clip - The Shower

2:52

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter: Robert Bloch, Joseph Stefano
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount, Shamley Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 16, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Mono

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