Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho isn’t just a horror film — it’s the horror film that redefined the genre, shocked audiences, and still feels unsettling over 60 years later. The film begins deceptively as a crime drama, following Marion Crane (played with perfect vulnerability by Janet Leigh) after she steals money and flees town. But halfway through, Hitchcock flips the entire narrative on its head with one of cinema’s most iconic scenes: the shower murder. Bernard Herrmann’s screeching string score in that moment is as terrifying today as it was then. Anthony Perkins' portrayal of Norman Bates is haunting. His nervous charm and boyish awkwardness make his darker side all the more chilling. The layers of psychological tension — from Norman’s twisted relationship with his mother to his internal battle between kindness and malevolence — are masterfully handled.

Hitchcock’s direction is pure brilliance. The black-and-white cinematography adds to the claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere, and the way he builds suspense through subtle camera movements, silence, and misdirection is a masterclass. He doesn’t rely on gore; instead, he uses suggestion, anticipation, and psychological manipulation to make the audience squirm. What’s most impressive is how Psycho broke rules: it killed off its apparent protagonist early on, showed an unprecedented level of violence for its time, and toyed with censorship boundaries — all while pulling the audience deeper into a spiral of dread. In the end, Psycho isn’t just a horror story — it’s a film about deception, madness, and the darkness that can hide behind the most ordinary facade. Hitchcock made audiences afraid of showers, motels, and the polite stranger next door. Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A timeless classic that still feels bold, brilliant, and deeply unsettling.