Alfred Hitchcock's original 1960 classic, Psycho, was a precursor the slasher genre. Naturally twenty-three years later, right before the peak of the Eighties slasher boon, Universal brought Norman Bates back. Only this time, there's color, tits, and gore.
Psycho II is a movie that in a just world would have been a complete disaster. The mere idea of it is sacrilege to the original a legit masterpiece of horror filmmaking. You really think a dusty middle-aged man like Anthony Perkins can compete with Michael Myers? Psycho II should have been an embarrassing failure. Instead, this is a really well-made movie that pays respect to the original while not trying to copy or out-do it. It is a great sequel and highly underrated.
Twenty-two years later after stabbing Janet Leigh in the shower, Norman Bates (Perkins) is let out of the mental hospital. We are told he is cured and can reenter society. Bates goes back to the old Motel and to the old iconic house on the Universal backlot. This is probably not the best environment for restarting his life, but his doctor (Robert Loggia) thinks its fine. Who am I to say? The movie implies that Norman would be getting better care if it wasn't for Ronald Reagan fucking up the nation's mental health funding. Norman starts up a friendship with a waitress, Mary (Meg Tilly), who even starts living with him. However, murders begin piling up all around Norman and Mary. And a voice claiming to be "his true mother" has started calling him on the phone.
Psycho II has a solid suspense structure. You're never sure if Norman is back to his old crazy ways or if people are trying to drive him re-insane. Lila, the Final Girl from Psycho 1, is back and still played by veteran actress Vera Miles. She wants to prove to the world that Norman is dangerous, no matter what it takes. Mary is believably friendly with Norman at first. But her behavior starts to make no sense. Why would a pretty young girl need to shack up with an obviously disturbed old man? Who is this old woman hiding in the house with them? Psycho II piles maybe one too many twists on, but it is an effectively scary movie. As a psychological thriller, it is really effective in giving you nobody to trust.
Plus, Anthony Perkins rocks this role out. He was incredible in 1960 as Norman, as creepy as he was charming (even a bit sexy). Here he can make Norman as friendly and wholesome as your kindly old math teacher. Or he can be out in another universe, freaking you out with his intense delusions. Meg Tilly is great too as Mary. Her role should be impossible. She's written to be innocent, manipulative, and dangerous depending on the scene. Yet Meg Tilly does it all.
I'll also give this movie respect for not trying at all to be like the original Psycho. It only replicates a few beats and a few moments. Mostly though it wants to be nothing like that movie. Psycho II opens on the infamous shower kill. It reuses the old Hitchcock footage. This is to say "okay, this is what you wanted, right? Here you go. Okay, now our movie does not need to be like that." It's a bold choice for a director to show you the original masterpiece, daring to compare it the new stuff.
Obviously Psycho 1 wins that comparison. Psycho II is not flawless or any kind of horror foundational work like Psycho 1. But it doesn't need to be. It doesn't want to be. It is a decent slasher movie with solid story choices. Plus, there's a really great kill with a butcher's knife going down a person's throat.
Next time: Color Out of Space (2020)
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