Checking Back Into The Bates Motel On Psycho's 65th Anniversary

We’re celebrating the legacy of Psycho (1960), Alfred Hitchcock’s genre-defining masterpiece, by shining a spotlight on all the Norman Bates stories that followed. When it comes to iconic horror villains, this mama’s boy is in a league of his own. But while everyone knows the shower scene, far fewer have ventured into the chilling, clever, and often underrated sequels that kept Norman’s story going.

Don't upset mother: Celebrate 65 years of the Psycho franchise with our 3-day sale!

PSYCHO II (1983) - Joey G.

Long before the concept of a “legacy sequel” was a twinkle in every money-hungry movie producer’s eye, Psycho II laid the groundwork by asking the question: what if we made a follow up to one of the most influential horror films ever made … 23 years after it originally came out?

It’s understandable, in a way — who wouldn’t want to see what ol’ Norman Bates was up to, years after being institutionalized for all that creepy mommy stuff. But also: Do we really need to see what ol’ Norman Bates has been up to?

Unsurprisingly, he’s back on his old stomping grounds — the motel itself is under new management (being run by Sipowicz from NYPD Blue), but Norman is staying in that big ominous house out back. And soon, mommy’s voice starts again, and the bodies start piling up again.

There are plenty of clever twists and turns, but there are so many fake-outs that they start to lose their momentum and you end up feeling every second of the 113-minute runtime.
Still, this is the role Anthony Perkins was born to play, so at least he’s a sweaty, bug-eyed joy to watch. And don’t miss Anthony's actual son (and Longlegs creator), Oz Perkins, in a brief cameo wherein he plays a young Norman Bates!

PSYCHO III (1986) - AJ M.

One thing I love about Psycho III is that it aspired to be everything the first movie wasn’t. It’s deranged, indulgent, and unapologetically sleazy – and that’s by design. Anthony Perkins made his directorial debut with the third overall entry in the Psycho saga. Enamored by the script by Charles Edward Pogue, Perkins was almost endeared by the fact that it was so pleasantly preposterous, while still holding its own as a standalone thriller.

Although it ended up as the lowest-earning film in the franchise, it would eventually find its stride among cult audiences as a late-night B-movie that openly rejects every instinct that made Hitchcock’s classic such a tried-and-true masterpiece. But that’s not to say it was poorly made. The movie features real moments of shock and suspense, including a telephone booth kill sequence that feels like it was plucked from some long lost giallo film.

Psycho III catches up with Norman Bates (Perkins), who now finds himself fixated on Maureen (Diana Scarwid), a depressed and guilt-ridden nun with a crisis of faith who bears a passing resemblance to Marion Crane. Past traumas are unearthed and bubble to the surface, gradually revealing hidden dimensions to Norman Bates that helps solidify his legacy as one of the most menacing – and tragic – villains in movie history.

PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING (1990)

Released in 1990 as a Showtime original movie, Psycho IV: The Beginning takes a bold swing by going backward to explore the twisted roots of Norman Bates in a prequel-sequel hybrid that gives both longtime fans and curious newcomers something to latch onto. Written by Joseph Stefano (the screenwriter of the original) and directed by Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers), the film connects the dots between Norman’s traumatic childhood and what he would become.

We see a young Norman (played by Henry Thomas of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Haunting Of Bly Manor) trapped in a toxic relationship with his mother, brilliantly portrayed by Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas). These flashbacks are framed by present-day Norman (played once again by the great Anthony Perkins) calling into a late-night radio show to share his story with host CCH Pounder, struggling with the fear that history might repeat itself.

The film delivers in tone and atmosphere while offering a new perspective on the franchise's infamous origin story.

PSYCHO (1998) - Emily H.

Check in. Unpack. Relax. Take a shower.

A shot-by-shot remake is always going to be a tough sell. Why watch a copy when you can sit down with a beloved Alfred Hitchcock classic? The answer for me is the stacked cast, which includes Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Heche, Robert Forster, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Rita Wilson, James Remar, Flea, and what I would argue is Vince Vaughn in his best role. 

Hot on the heels of his Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant stepped into the shoes of Hitchcock to bring Psycho back to the big screen. Van Sant's dedication to capturing the original, this time in full color, means that he even repeated mistakes, like a door opening without a key. But he was also able to redo elements Hitchcock was not quite able to achieve, such as a long tracking shot that was initially completed through a serires of pans and dissolves and was able to be done as one shot in the remake.

Does this beat the original? Of course not. But it's a fascinating look at what one brilliant filmmaker thinks of another, and how the pieces can come together in completely different ways even when they're telling the same story. 

THE PSYCHO LEGACY (2010)

This feature-length documentary traces the impact of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and explores how the sequels built on the original’s legacy in surprising and meaningful ways. Through interviews with cast, crew, filmmakers, and horror historians, The Psycho Legacy digs into what makes Norman Bates such a uniquely chilling figure and why his story continued to resonate through Psycho II, III, and IV.

You’ll hear from collaborators of Anthony Perkins, including directors Tom Holland and Mick Garris and genre icons like Rob Zombie, who explain how Psycho shaped modern horror. The film also includes rare footage, on-set stories, and honest reflections about working on sequels that many fans overlooked at the time but are finally getting the recognition they deserve.