Psycho (1960) got its follow-up twenty-three years later, and who could have predicted such a quality film as this. Some major assets in the original was its psychological layers, its atmosphere, and the major performance by Anthony Perkins, and impressively, Psycho II contains all of this. The story evolves well, and the antagonist Norman Bates (Perkins) who we saw in a mental cell with his face blurred as a skeleton skull in the final scene of the original, is here presented as someone who's trying to earn himself a place back in society, and as someone the viewer really feels sympathy for. That's a great twist, and as the first half of the film gels elegantly, the second half ups the game with several surprises and complex plot progressions. The cinematography Dean Cundey is splendid, the performances by Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and Meg Tilly and the music by Jerry Goldsmith is outstanding. Psycho II is definitely one of the best horror sequels I've seen.
Review of Psycho II
