To what extent is Psycho a typical thriller?

Psycho is a typical thriller in the sense that it defined the genre and set new standards. From its gripping yet eerie soundtrack to its unforgettable scenes, it has been copied and imitated countless times. Based on a novel of the same name and receiving its inspiration on the events of a real serial killer, Psycho is based on a man with two personalities, Norman Bates; the villain of the film. This already creates a sense of discomfort and as we delve deeper into the film we discover his motives and the psychological aspects of this thriller.

One facet that makes this a thriller is fear of the unknown, not knowing what is going to happen and the sense of uneasiness. This is accompanied by quick shots and tight camera angles; this is shown perfectly in the shower scene. One of the most famous and memorable scenes of all of film history; the shower scene was most notable for the use of the sharp and shrieking all-strings composition and the use of many camera angles and shots. This made the entire sequence seem much longer and more violent than if longer shots from a further distance were used. We see the seemingly innocent woman nude, this is to show that she’s in a vulnerable state. The atmosphere is created by the fact that the scene is such an unimaginable place for a murder to occur, this initially makes you wonder but we then see the silhouette of a shady figure from behind the shower curtains, retaining the interest in the scene and keeping us on edge.

In Arbogast’s murder scene, tension is built by his slow entrance into the house. We see the view of the stairs and see that nobody is visible, this creates a sense of mystery. The music begins and becomes increasingly louder and then there’s a sudden turn and we hear the same sharp piece that we heard during the shower scene.
When Norman is confronted we see him acting in a nervous and peculiar manner and as events unfold, we’re left pondering and speculating upon what is really happening, but we aren’t entirely certain until the very end of the film when Norman Bates’ psychological condition is fully explained. However, before this we are alerted by the old couple that Norman’s mother has been dead for years, this just generates confusion as we have seen two people previously being murdered by the shadowy mother figure.
In conclusion I see Psycho as both a horror and a thriller, it takes traits from each genre and combines them very well and uses them to create horror and tension.