Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho is creepy, but not quite so gory as its reputation had me believe. Other than the infamous shower scene, there's very little blood. What makes this movie so creepy is the killer's smile, because he or she is obviously a psychopath (hence the title). This movie's greatness lies in its ability to create suspense, keeping the audience attuned, despite the lack of gore. The film is always building tension (thank you, creepy soundtrack). Hitchcock's talent of using irony (let's talk about my weird obsession with preservation), understatement (look at the blood flowing down the drain), and the ignorance of the public (especially in 1960, the public knew very little about mental illness and preferred not to talk about it) makes it far superior to some of the current horror and suspense movies, which use excessive amounts of blood and gore to create their "wow" factor. New films are also less realistic (demonic possession and the apocalypse are more of a stretch than someone with an undiagnosed psychological disorder in the '60's) and do not contain the symbolism that Psycho so subtly inserts (such as the three levels of the Bates house, which correspond to the three levels of Norman Bates' head in the view of Freudian psychology).
Psycho differs from Hitchcock's other films in that the heroine (Marion Crane) does not find redemption of any kind before the end of the film. Her hopes are crushed, as are those of the people around her. Although most people don't come across psychotic murderers, we all have our hopes and dreams shattered at some point in time. Additionally, closure is often difficult to come by and can be too little, too late.
Psycho differs from Hitchcock's other films in that the heroine (Marion Crane) does not find redemption of any kind before the end of the film. Her hopes are crushed, as are those of the people around her. Although most people don't come across psychotic murderers, we all have our hopes and dreams shattered at some point in time. Additionally, closure is often difficult to come by and can be too little, too late.