10 Film & TV Serial Killers We Can't Help But Love

3. Norman Bates - Psycho

Norman Bates is probably the most psychologically interesting murderer of the film world. Such is his appeal that he is not only the most enduring element of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but they've even recently created a new television show that details the development of the famously unstable man during his teen years. He's devastatingly fragile, played with sensitivity by Anthony Perkins, which was in a way unprecedented for the role of a tremendously disturbed individual. The genius of Perkins' portrayal of Norman Bates was that the audience genuinely wanted to sympathize with him. On the surface, he came off as a slightly socially awkward, lonely young man. So while he certainly comes off as a creepy guy, one that you might shy away from being alone in a room with, the depths of his madness aren't immediately clear. You feel bad for Norman far before you realize exactly how far off the reservation he is. The introduction of a quasi-sexual, Oedipal relationship between Norman and his mother is fascinating, and is currently being explored in further detail on the alarmingly uncomfortable drama Bates Motel.