20 Most Highly Rated Horror Movies On Rotten Tomatoes
6. Psycho
Rating: 96%
It might rank well ahead of The Birds but Alfred Hitchcock’s definitive slasher Psycho received largely mixed reviews upon its release in 1960, funnily enough. Seen as a departure from his usual oeuvre, critics initially weren’t as taken with it as they were his stylish thrillers like Vertigo and North by Northwest and deemed Psycho a ‘gimmick’ and a ‘blot’ on Hitchcock’s career.
The public loved it, however, and it went on to break box office records around the world and receive four Academy Award nominations. These days, the film that ruined shower time for everybody is considered one of Hitchcock’s greatest films and one of the horror genre’s most influential movies.
Not so brilliant is Gus Van Sant’s almost shot for shot remake released in 1998 and featuring Vince Vaughn’s twitchy, masturbating interpretation of the iconic Norman Bates. Stick to the original.