Notebook Reviews: PSYCHO

Gus Van Sant – 1998.

It’s obviously nowhere near as good as Alfred Hitchcock‘s original, but Gus Van Sant‘s updating of Psycho isn’t too bad. This shot-for-shot remake could have been a total disaster, but it manages to just about hold its own.

Admittedly, the film fails to offer anything new (how could it), but the cast – Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, William H. Macy and Anne Heche – work hard. Vaughn might be a little too big and too good-looking to play Norman Bates, but he tries his best to slip into Anthony Perkins‘ iconic shoes. 

Psycho has a interesting tone and it feels like a real period piece – something which helps make this even more of a cinematic curiosity. Throw in Danny Elfman‘s updating of Bernard Hermann‘s classic score and you have a film which is worth seeking out. 

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