4. Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock thoroughly embraced the teachings of Freud when he adapted Robert Bloch's story of Norman Bates, a quiet young man running the family motel on behalf of his domineering, geriatric mother. Hitchcock constructs his film with immaculate precision. Time has robbed the movie's power to shock when heroine Marion Crane gets killed so early in the film, robbing us of a central character - we all know about that shower scene, and the fate about to befall her. What's amazing is how the film still manages to pull the same trick, even after repeated viewings: we end up rooting for Norman - even when we still believe he's simply cleaning up after Mother. The defining moment is when Norman disposes of Marion's car, including the stolen money she'd carried with her to the Bates Motel. The fact that Norman isn't even aware of the money makes it all the more enjoyable. He pushes the car into a swamp, where it begins to sink... then stops, still protruding out of the mire. Norman watches with bated breath - as do we - and then the car sinks completely. And we wanted it to sink as much as Norman did. Norman's suffocating relationship with his mother becomes his comeuppance. The final astonishing twist is legendary, worthy of Poe and destined to be remembered for decades to come. By compartmentalising Norman's behaviour between levels of the house, then exploring his relationship with Mother, Hitchcock painstakingly deconstructs a serial killer, showing us the inner workings of a damaged mind.