For movie review number 300 I watched this third entry in the Psycho series, and whilst I enjoyed it, it was apparent that each sequel seems to be slightly less appealing than the last.
Set one month after the events of Psycho II, this third film sees nun on the run Maureen avoid a sexual assault by Jeff Fahey only to wind up staying at the Bates Motel where Jeff Fahey has just been hired as assistant manager. Considering that she goes through all of this after having just accidentally killed a nun whilst trying to top herself, it’s no wonder that she soon tries it again, which kicks off a disastrous chain of events.
Norman saves the lost soul and begins displaying signs of affection towards Maureen, which ultimately leads to a relapse and mother soon returns.
For starters the film feels like a Psycho movie which is good. Anthony Perkins creates further sympathy for the character and creates a number of well paced moments in his directorial debut through use of props, and even recreates some sequences from the original with twists, however the teen slasher element is introduced thanks to a bus load of football players and cheerleaders.
The film works for the most part, but Jeff Fahey is underused and the inclusion of tough talking journalist Tracy Venable makes it feel a little like a retread of the first sequel.
There are a few moments of light relief, some nice uses of religious iconography and a lot more blood than you saw in the original. The cast are all good and it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome, and it also manages to further complicate the legacy of the Bates family which is good, but it lessens the impact of the previous film’s climax by doing so.
OVERALL SUMMARY
A bit of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the film and it fits nicely into the series, but it is noticeably weaker than the original and the first sequel. If you haven’t seen it you might be pleasantly surprised. It’s certainly better than the pointless remake.
