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Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey, CCH Pounder, Donna Mitchell ... see more see more... , Warren Frost , John Landis , Kurt Paul

This third sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller was originally made for cable television and looks into murderous Norman Bates' traumatic past in hopes of explaining his need to kill. ~ Sandr... read more read more...a Brennan, Rovi

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35% liked it

3,879 ratings

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Mick Garris

Release Date: June 1, 1991

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DVD Release Date: August 8, 1991

Stats: 239 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (239)

  • ajv2688
    April 14, 2011
    ajv2688
    We finally get to see exactly what makes Norman Bates a psycho when he tells all on a radio show, of all things. The cast is good, it's still got Perkins, and the continuing story outside of the flashbacks is good, but I don't think this movie was needed, we knew enough about hi... read mores background from the other three films.
  • thefog1331
    November 6, 2010
    thefog1331
    Well intended but ultimately unnessesary sequel/prequel that finds out what Norman's been up to as well as fleshing out the origins of Norman's psychosis (hence the unnessasary part). Writer Stefano claims his script this ignores parts II and III but Bates says a line about being... read more four years since the last murder which makes that 1986 which is the year Psycho III came out; I'm glad they added that just so there's a sense of cohesion with the rest of the series.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    October 22, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    Psycho IV was the swan song for America's favorite nutcase, as Anthony Perkins died of AIDS complications only a year or so after making it. But the character goes out in style.

    In many ways it appears this film ignores the events of Psycho II and III in favor of a "where is he ... read morenow" story which leads into a flashback that in part explains why Norman went crazy.

    Tony Perkins gives a sympathetic performance as Norman. You actually feel sorry for him, particularly at the end (which I won't give away). Has he reformed? Is he still crazy?

    Olivia Hussey, meanwhile, is marvelous as his insane mother. She's still one of the most underappreciated actresses in movies today, and there's a scene of her standing in a downpour in which she looks exactly like she did when she played Juliet back in 1968. Her scenes with Henry Thomas are full of tension -- including sexual tension, making much of this film an uncomfortable viewing experience. But you don't watch a Psycho movie to relax, do you? Argentine-born, British-raised Hussey also has one of the sexiest voices ever put on film -- although it's a bit odd hearing a midwestern woman having a British accent.

    The rest of the supporting cast is also good, especially CCH Pounder as a talk radio host who attracts the attention of Norman.

    My only real disappointment is they should have shot the flashbacks in black and white, as several scenes intentionally reflect the original film (Norman spies on his mother making love using the famous peep hole and also stabs a girl in much the same way (music included) that he killed Janet Leigh in the original film).

    A fitting send off for one of the most terrifying characters in cinema history.
  • creepfreak
    August 14, 2010
    creepfreak
    Great film. This shows the life of Norman Bates, how he was raised and what contributed to his madness. An original take on the series. It's not scary, nor violent, just highly entertaining. All questions are answered in this part, and we finally get to meet...Norman's mother. Ho... read morew great is that? Highly recommended!

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  • matertenebraum
    January 18, 2010
    matertenebraum
    Norman Bates is back! As a woman is hosting a radio show with the subject of boys murdering their mothers, a man calling himself Ed calls in and begin telling his story. But a doctor who examined Bates after the first murders recognize him and it turns out it's the old, psychotic... read more killer who used to dress up as his mother and kill young, innocent women - and he's planning to do it again...

    Not much of a sequel, but a flashback drama where we're allowed to experience Norman's childhood and the events that led to killing spree. It's mostly about his obnoxious mother harassing him, and turning his life into a living hell. The modern Norman calls her both good and bad, but we're almost only allowed to see her bad sides. She's not some evil psycho, like we've thought before, but just an annoying bitch.

    We get to see some of Norman's murders before the whole mom-plot kicks in, and that goes on until the climax. People expecting some paranoia horror or gory murders will be hugely disappointed - this film is made only to explain the previous movies, not following them. And it's interesting, for a while, but as soon as we've learned that Norman's dislikable mom was the sole reason the film gets stuck and never gets anywhere. We know he's about to poison the mother and her slimy lover, but it takes extremely long before we get there and that particular scene is mostly a big "so?", and annoyingly changing several details made clear in Psycho II.

    The film begins well though, and Anthony Perkins reprise of Norman is good even though he spends most of the time talking on the phone in a kitchen. He doesn't get some action until the goofy climax where he chases his wife (yes, somehow he has a wife) through a house in tired slasher-formula clichés. His wife, who's apparently a psychologist, has to be the dumbest shrink in a movie ever. Well, back to the movie. Rounding out the cast are cast-against-type Henry Thomas (the boy in E.T.) as young Norman and Olivia Hussey (the heroine of Black Christmas) as the mother. Both tries their best but have unevenly written roles. Thomas, who also resembles a young Perkins, successfully imitates Norman's behavior but it's never given any transformation into the psycho he abruptly becomes. Hussey manages to create a very nasty character, but it's not the woman we expected after seeing the original film.

    This so-called sequel isn't the turkey it could have become, but it's also not the clever follow-up it should have been. It has great intentions and holds a good plot but the feeling of it is just tired and bitter, as the director (Mick Garris, who later made the dreadful The Shining mini-series remake) didn't get a grip of the film and just gave up. This could have worked with a better script and more intense direction, but the result is ultimately forgettable.

    For a TV movie this is surprisingly gory but the murder scenes look cheap and are badly made. Hitchcock was smart enough to never show the actual
    stabbings, but here we see the knives stabbing the victims and it's embarrassingly obvious fake. When Norman's haunted by one of the victims, with a knife in her shoulder, it looks like a toy.

    This opens terrifically with Bernard Herrmann's original 1960 score, which one of the best -and most famous - horror film scores. It's used often in the film, in the murder scenes mostly notable, but the music switches on to dull,
    typical TV film score after a while.

    If you're dying to get the background story to Norman Bates, you might wanna watch this but otherwise this movie hasn't much to offer, even
    if it's not all-bad. Good performances, though not good enough to save a lame film.
  • mjgildea
    January 26, 2009
    mjgildea
    When I saw Psycho IV back in the day I thought it was amazing, but after seeing it many years later it's just a badly dated piece of crap. With the original Psycho being one of my Top 2 favorite movies the flashbacks were amazing and elaborated on a lot of little details from the... read more original. But the modern day storyline with the call-in show was godawful. Henry Thomas as a young Norman was okay, Olivia Hussey was trying too hard. Joseph Stefano's (who wrote the screenplay for the original Psycho) heart was in the right place but that final sequence at the motel was kind of painful. If you love the Psycho series (or just the original for that matter) enough you might get something out of it but otherwise don't bother.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 14, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    A fascinating little film with Norman Bates flashing back to his boyhood days when his mother was still alive. It feels a bit long at parts, but finishes the Psycho series.
  • nuheart
    January 5, 2007
    nuheart
    Yeah, not great (Garris *cough* Mick Garris), but not as bad as you might think. The present day part, with Norman on a radio call-in show (which ultimately goes nowhere), is kind of lame, but the prequel bit with Henry Thomas as young Norman is excellent. Norma Bates was way m... read moreore screwed up than her son.
  • Lindsey13141
    December 3, 2011
    Lindsey13141
    'Psycho IV: The Beginning' is so splendidly trashy, I can't help but think what a great episode of Jerry Springer Norman Bates and Mother would make.
  • threefolddado
    March 22, 2008
    threefolddado
    The flashbacks with Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey are phenomenal. The radio talk show stuff is weak.

View All Psycho IV: The Beginning Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andreas Samuelson
January 26, 2004
Andreas Samuelson, Slasherpool

People expecting some paranoia horror or gory murders will be hugely disappointed. Full Review

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Psycho IV: The Beginning Trivia

  • Who played young Norman Bates in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)? The same actor who played...  Answer »
  • Psycho and its sequels span 30 years: 1960-1990. In how many of the 4 films (Psycho, II, III, and IV: The Beginning) did Anthony Perkins play Norman Bates?  Answer »
  • Who played Norman Bates's mother in Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)? The same actress who played...  Answer »
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