Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- eerie
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- classic horror marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the sequel well made and suspenseful, with Anthony Perkins’s performance and its Hitchcockian atmosphere standing out, but considered its plotting overcomplicated and its return to the Bates legacy unnecessary.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Norman Bates and Lila Loomis return 22 years after the events of the original Psycho, with the Bates Motel again becoming the center of danger.
Norman is released after being judged legally sane, but Lila and the surrounding community continue to treat his past as an active threat.
The Bates house and the specter of Mrs. Bates remain central images as Norman tries to rebuild his life at the motel.
Richard Franklin and composer Jerry Goldsmith pursue a Hitchcockian atmosphere while the film also engages with the 1980s slasher boom.
Films like Psycho II, and why
Psycho
psychological horror, motel setting, serial-killer mystery, and an unstable protagonist haunted by a maternal presence
Halloween II
stylized slasher violence, a returning killer figure, and a suspenseful mystery centered on hidden identity
Peeping Tom
small-town serial-killer suspense, voyeuristic unease, and a protagonist whose past threatens a fragile new life
The Shining
1980s slasher conventions combined with psychological instability, suspicion, and a legacy of earlier crimes
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Franklin
- Release Date
- 1983-06-03
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (769)
Cast
- Anthony Perkins
- Meg Tilly
- Vera Miles
- Robert Loggia
- Dennis Franz
- Hugh Gillin
- Virginia Gregg
- Claudia Bryar
- Robert Alan Browne
- Ben Hartigan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Psycho II about?
- A rehabilitated Norman Bates returns to his motel, only to find murder and the shadow of Mother waiting for him.
- What is Psycho II like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Psycho II as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Psycho II violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Psycho II as brutal.
- What did critics think of Psycho II?
- Critics generally found the sequel well made and suspenseful, with Anthony Perkins’s performance and its Hitchcockian atmosphere standing out, but considered its plotting overcomplicated and its return to the Bates legacy unnecessary.
- Which films are like Psycho II?
- Films with a similar feel include Psycho, Halloween II, Peeping Tom, and The Shining.
- How long is Psycho II?
- Psycho II runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Psycho II?
- In United States, Psycho II streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel.
