The 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock,
Pyscho, is known as being one of the first films to introduce the horror techniques that would be used for decades to come. But what is in this film that makes it so horrifying and entertaining for the viewer? I believe that a large reason why this film is considered so scary is the element of unknown that surrounds the Norman Bates' mother throughout the movie. In each of the murders that Norman commits, the face of the murder is never seen. After each murder, Norman is always cleaning it up while cursing his mother, seemingly unfazed by her actions. However, the mother is never seen until the end of the film, when it's revealed that she has been dead for over 20 years and Norman is the one who has been committing these murders. However, there is a sense of confusion and fear that surrounds the viewer as to who is actually the murderer throughout the entire film. This technique of dropping hints but keeping the viewer wondering is one technique that makes this movie the classic horror film.
I agree Noah. I think one of the most common fears in the human race is the fear of the unknown. We are impatient. And, in a movie like Psycho, those few seconds of waiting for something bad to happen drives us nuts. Watching an hour and a half of a movie where you don't know who is committing the crimes makes us go insane. So, not knowing who is committing the crimes is what makes Psycho truly scary. Therefore, in the end it is extremely creepy to find out it was Norman Bates the whole time. How could something so obvious be hidden so easily? I think it gives the audience a weary feeling that something like that could happen to them. But, like the main character, they would never see it coming.
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