Psycho is an
American suspense/
horror movie directed by
Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by
Joseph Stefano. The film is based on the
novel of the same name by
Robert Bloch, which was in turn based on the crimes of
Wisconsin serial killer 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,
Norman Bates (
Anthony Perkins), and the aftermath of their encounter.
Psycho initially received mixed reviews, but outstanding
box office returns prompted a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four
Academy Award nominations.
Psycho is now considered 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 is highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics.
The film spawned two sequels, a
prequel, a
remake, and an unsuccessful television spin-off.
