I Love Psychological Horror, and This TV Sequel to 'Psycho' Is the Best in the Genre
Ever wondered how Norman Bates became a psychopath? There's a series about it, and it's a must-see for every Psycho fan, here's why.
There is probably no horror fan who has not watched, or at least heard of, Alfred Hitchcock's cult masterpiece, Psycho.
Psycho is on many cinephiles' lists of favorite movies (including mine), but few know that it has a worthy TV spinoff that pays homage to the original film – Bates Motel.
What Is 'Bates Motel' About?
After moving to White Pine Bay, widowed Norma Bates and her son Norman buy a motel that used to belong to the Summers family. Keith Summers, who lost his family home due to debt, threatens to kick the Bates out of town.
He leaves, but returns that same evening and rapes Norma. Norman arrives in time to help his mother stop him, and the woman kills the rapist.
The mother and son dispose of the body, and now they must keep the secret that binds them together.
'Bates Motel' Is a Worthy Successor to the Cult Horror Movie
Thanks to Bates Motel, we have the opportunity to see what happened behind the scenes in Psycho. How exactly did the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates unfold, and why did Norman eventually become a psychopath?
The development of the characters is the main strength of Bates Motel, making it a worthy prequel to Hitchcock's legendary work.
This is not the first attempt to expand the Psycho universe. A project with the same name was released on TV in the 1980s, but turned out to be a low-quality B-movie with 3.8/10 on IMDb.
This time, however, Carlton Cuse, showrunner of Lost, took on the project. The main roles were played by Vera Farmiga, star of the Conjuring universe, and Freddie Highmore, familiar to many viewers from The Good Doctor.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Bates Motel'?
Many fans of the show are surprised that this highly rated project remained in the shadows and never became a hit.
Reddit user jlaw1719 wrote:
“Terrific show and one of my all-time favorites. I figured it did pretty well since it got five seasons and did really well both critically and amongst viewers.”
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Bates Motel has 93% from critics and 91% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the series has a score of 8.1/10.
Where to Watch 'Bates Motel'?
Bates Motel is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
