10 Unexpected And Surprising Horror Movie Sequels

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) is a film that is as influential to the horror/thriller genre as you can get, laying the blueprint for what would become the slasher genre as we know it in the decades to come. It is an absolute classic, created by a master auteur, which remained as a standalone movie for 23 years, before the story and character of antagonist Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) was revisited.

The original film was shocking for audiences at the time. Not only did Hitchcock throw in the ultimate twist by killing off his lead character a third of the way through in that shower scene - one of the most famous kill sequences in cinema history - but he also explored a darkness of horror that was highly original for the genre in 1960. Psycho II (1983) unexpectedly dared to return to the story while putting a fresh perspective on the character of Norman Bates, who we now meet being released back into society, supposedly a cured man.

Surprisingly, the film, and Perkins portrayal in particular, works well, with the story playing nicely on whether Norman really is actually cured or just the same monster who is going to return to his murdering ways. We also meet members of the wider community living around the Bates Motel, some trusting and some not so of the recently released killer.

Psycho II ultimately pays respect and homage to Hitchcock’s original film, and acts as a fine follow-up companion piece.