BT1886

Psycho II

It still amazes me just how good Richard Franklin’s sequel to one of the—if not the—most famous horror films ever made turned out. Rewatching Psycho IIwith my wife and sister-in-law reminded me how engaging the storytelling is, and Dean Cundey’s presence really works wonders when it comes to defining the film’s look. I’ve written about it already, so I’d mostly be repeating myself, but this deserves a higher rating than I originally gave it. Great, great stuff.

BT1886

Psycho II

Richard Franklin • 1983 • Horror, Mystery You’d assume that attempting to create a sequel to one of, if not the most influential and important horror films ever put on screen, is a bad idea. On any other day, I'd probably agree with that. Color me surprised when Richard Franklin managed to direct a genuinely interesting sequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, a whole two decades later, with the underrated Psycho II. Nowadays, it feels like there are more remakes, reboots, and half-baked sequels being made at an increasingly alarming rate. Call it morbid curiosity, but the main reason I really wanted to watch this was to see just how bad a sequel to Psycho could possibly be. I wasn't expecting it to actually be pretty damn good. This film could have easily taken the simple path of being a generic, subpar 80’s slasher flick attempting to capitalize on the success of a better film. Psycho II instead attempts to continue the story of Norman Bates through a surprisingly sympathetic lens. It’s quite obvious that Richard Franklin never attempts to top its predecessor, which would have been impossible, but instead manages to craft a wholly unique film about trauma and mental illness. Writer Tom Holland goes to great lengths to create an entirely new story that builds on the existing narrative in new and interesting ways. While I’m not a huge fan of how they decided to write Lila Crane (Vera Miles) in this story, I cannot overstate just how much I enjoyed Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) character growth twenty years later. His attempts to move on from a troubled past come off as genuine, and you can't help but root for him throughout. Even once blood starts running in the film, you can only hope it isn't Norman back to his old habits again. Psycho II surprised me with how compelling and well crafted of a film it truly is. It stands out on its own and I think this is a commendable addition to the original Psycho. ⏵ SPOOKTOBER 2023 (https://boxd.it/pxRFI)

taximals

Psycho II

Didn't expect much from a sequel 20 years after the original but it was very enjoyable. it captured the tone and style of the original movie, and also made you feel sympathetic towards Norman, something that i loved about the Bates Motel tv adaption. he is a mentally ill man being harassed by people wanting him to do harm again and ultimately breaks him. honestly idk it makes my heart hurt.

nathansnook

Psycho II

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮?” “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸…𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥.” Anthony Perkins dropping a joint and a bottle of Rush in a dirty noodie ash tray is cinema at its finest. It would be difficult to top a masterpiece, but here, the direction is solid and off-kilter as it dives into deep sleaze. The film subverses the original, playing with Bates’ psychosis to spin it in many different directions until you’re pointing fingers at the wrong murderer after his release from prison. Because it’s the 80s, the violence is more intense. The Hayes Code is over. The motel is now shabby, meant for fast sex in cheap rooms. Perkins delivers a more deranged role than the first, hearing his mother through dead lines on phones and in neighboring deaths from his great return. Gagged by the end, as we get to see Bates in his prime, killing as he pleases, has me excited to see the third installment.