A trailblazing thriller that hit the big screen 65 years ago is still hailed by many critics as the best of its genre. Psycho (1960) centres on an encounter between Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh), an embezzler who’s on the run after stealing money from her employer.

While on the lam, she stops at the Bates Motel, run by the mysterious and unsettling proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who has a difficult relationship with his mother. The film was directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock and based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch.

The terrifying camerawork cemented Hitchcock’s reputation as king of suspense. The movie’s iconic “shower scene” is one of its most chilling moments and is regarded as a masterclass in building tension.

With its shocking midpoint twist, pitch-perfect cinematography and editing, intense musical score, and riveting lead performances, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece Psycho is arguably the pinnacle of the thriller genre.

Writing for Screenrant, TV critic Ben Sherlock said with its “shocking midpoint twist, pitch-perfect cinematography and editing, intense musical score, and riveting lead performances, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece Psycho is arguably the pinnacle of the thriller genre”.

Back in the early 2000s, the film topped the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies, and even in 2025, it took first place in Entertainment Weekly‘s ranking of the 40 best thrillers.

Lee McCutcheon, a contributor on film blog Screenage Wasteland, said he truly believes Psycho is a “perfect film”.

“It’s just a masterclass in filmmaking and easily my favourite Hitchcock movie,” he wrote.

“Add to all that one of the greatest twists in cinematic history and you have not just one of the greatest horror movies of all time, but one of the greatest movies ever made, full stop.”

The movie is still hailed by fans and critics. It boasts an exemplary 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer (which reflects the percentage of approved critics who have given it a positive review).

It also has a 96% score among general audiences, in line with the high esteem with which its still held.

The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong violence, so may not be for everyone.

Psycho is available to stream on NowTV with a Cinema Membership. You can also rent or buy it on various platforms, including YouTube, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime.