1. It Feels Like Psycho
It might have become a little bit obvious over the course of this piece just how in love with
Psycho I am. I wont lie; its one of my all-time favourite movies, so yeah, Im bound to be a little bit biased. But its also a universally recognized classic and for good reason. Its tightly written, brilliantly acted and highly atmospheric suspense thriller full of shocking twists. There is a particular tone to
Psycho that is a huge part of its genius. From the opening frames the feeling of dread hangs over the whole film, the knowledge that we are going to head into some bleak territory. Its there in the shriek of the violins, the invasive camera, the determined yet terrified look on Marion Cranes face. It is a tone that does not let up for the rest of the film; in fact, if anything it becomes worse as we enter the gothic nightmare of the Bates Motel and its deadly owner. Even with its questionable relationship to
Psycho,
Bates Motel has managed to capture the feeling of the original film. While it does not use any of the music from that film, the scoring is similar. As Norman approaches the house of a dangerous police deputy to uncover his secrets, the violins start in the background. The camera is tight on his face, and we, as an audience, are on the edge of our seat. Then theres the cinematography; just slightly bathed in shadows with muted colours suggesting age. Even with the modern setting, the costumes and cars seem like theyre from the 50s.
Bates Motel may not be canonically linked with
Psycho, but it is packed full of references and tributes. These work because the series is committed to doing its own thing. It does not slavishly adhere to the template set down by the original, and, ironically, this has freed it up enough to capture the elusive spirit of Hitchcocks classic in a way few of the sequels ever came close to. Nothing about
Bates Motel should have worked. And yet, against the odds, it has been a success, both as part of the
Psycho series and as its own piece of television drama. I for one cannot wait to see where this series goes. And if youre still not interested in jumping on board, well, youre the one missing out.