Psycho is a
suspense/
thriller directed by
auteur Alfred Hitchcock, from the
screenplay by
Joseph Stefano about a
psychotic killer. It is based on the
novel of the same name by
Robert Bloch, which was in turn inspired by the crimes of
Wisconsin murderer
Ed Gein.
The film depicts the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane (
Janet Leigh), who is in hiding at a motel after
embezzling from her employer, and the
motel's owner, the lonely
Norman Bates (
Anthony Perkins), and the aftermath of their encounter.
It initially received mixed reviews but outstanding box-office returns, prompting a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four
Academy Award nominations. Regarded today as one of Hitchcock's best films
[Psycho is the top listed Hitchcock film in The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time by Entertainment Weekly, among the highest rated Hitchcock films on the Internet Movie Database (second only to Rear Window), and the highest Hitchcock film on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies.] and highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics,
is also acclaimed as one of the most effective horror films.
It was a genre-defining film, and almost every scene is legendary, many having been copied or parodied. The film spawned several sequels and a
remake, which are generally seen as works of lesser quality.
"The Shower Scene" has been studied, discussed, and cited countless times in print and in film courses much with debate focusing on why it is so terrifying and how it was produced, including how it passed the censors and debate over who actually directed it.
