10 Most Hysterical Characters In Horror Movie History
2. Norman Bates - Psycho (1960)
It should come as little surprise to see Hitchcock rear his baldy head twice in this article, given the infamy attached to his depictions of intemperate women. But perhaps all is not as straightforward as it seems.
The film's partial protagonist Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) might be the obvious pick for this slot, given her susceptibility to flights of fancy and, of course, her performance in the shower. But, come on, she was being murdered.
No, in terms of actually, certifiably hysterical behaviour, motel owner Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is far more out of control, over the top and downright emotional than Marion – who, let's face it, only caused a scene in her purest moment of horror – could ever be.
Norman has some serious mummy issues, and these have translated into an emotionally unstable adult who, rather than control his emotions, has allowed them to take him as they please. This includes his forays into the persona of his mother, in which he flies off the handle at a moment's notice – and, sometimes, does much, much worse. Granted, having a dissociative identity disorder doesn't help matters, but even when Norman is out of his 'Mother' guise, he is prone to agitation, paranoia and possessiveness.