Psycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 American made-for-television slasher film directed by Mick Garris, and starring Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey, Warren Frost, Donna Mitchell, and CCH Pounder. It serves as both the third sequel and a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, focusing on the early life of Norman Bates. It includes both events after Psycho III while focusing on flashbacks of events that took place prior to the original film. It is the fourth and final film in the original Psycho franchise, and Perkins' final appearance in the series before his death in 1992.
The film was written by Joseph Stefano, who also wrote the screenplay of the original film. The musical score was composed by Graeme Revell and the title theme music by Bernard Herrmann from the original film was used. Psycho IV: The Beginning premiered on Showtime on November 10, 1990 as part of a Psycho retrospective hosted by Janet Leigh.
Plot[]
A once-again rehabilitated Norman Bates is now married to a psychiatrist named Connie and is expecting a child. Norman secretly fears that the child will inherit his mental illness. One evening, he hears radio talk show host Fran Ambrose discussing the topic of matricide with her guest Dr. Richmond, Norman's former psychologist. Norman calls into the radio show, using the alias "Ed", to tell his story.
Norman's narrative is seen as a series of flashbacks set in the 1940s and 1950s, some slightly out of order. When Norman is six years old, his father dies, leaving him in the care of his mother, Norma. Over the years, Norma (who is implied to suffer from schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder) dominates her son, brutally beating him for even the smallest infraction, throwing him out in the rain when naked, teaching him that sex is sinful, dressing him up as a girl, and smearing lipstick on his face as punishment for getting an erection during incestuous foreplay (that Norma herself initiated). She forces him to urinate like a female by instructing him to squat over a pitcher. She also takes her frustration out on Norman when business at the motel fails due to the new interstate routing potential customers away from their location.
The two live in contented isolation until, in 1949, she becomes engaged to a brutish man named Chet Rudolph who openly bullies Norman. Driven over the edge with jealousy and sick of Chet's constant abuse, Norman kills both of them by serving them poisoned iced tea. He disposes of Chet's body before stealing and preserving his mother's corpse. He develops a split personality in which he "becomes" his mother to suppress the guilt of murdering her; whenever this personality takes over, it drives him to dress in his mother's clothes, put on a wig, and talk to himself in her voice. As "Mother", he murders two local women who try to seduce him during their stay at the motel. After these and other killings, Norman appears to have no recollection of committing the murders himself and believes "Mother" is alone responsible.
In the present day, Dr. Richmond realizes "Ed" is Norman and tries to convince Ambrose to trace the calls. Richmond's worries are dismissed. Norman fears he will go insane and kill again. He tells Fran that Connie got pregnant against his wishes and that he does not want to create another "monster". He then tells Fran he realizes that his mother is dead, but he fears that his mother may repossess him and kill Connie "with my own hands, just like the first time".
Norman takes his wife to his mother's house with the thought of killing her and her unborn baby. Connie reminds Norman that it was his own choice to go insane and do the things he did, reassuring Norman that their child will not be a monster with their guidance. He realizes the truth to having freedom of choice, and he drops his knife. Finally, Norman impulsively sets fire to the house where all his unhappiness began. As he tries to escape the flames, he hallucinates that he sees his victims, his mother and eventually himself preserving her corpse. Norman barely flees the burning house alive.
He and Connie leave the next day. Norman happily proclaims, "I'm free", indicating that his mother will never again haunt his mind and drive him insane. Then, the wooden cellar doors of the house close on a rocking chair that continues to rock, at which point "Mother" screams for Norman to release her before the screen cuts to black and the sound of a baby crying is heard.