Macabre...ish Horror Review: Psycho 2

Psycho 2, 1983/ 1 hr 53 min.

Two decades after the murders, Norman (Anthony Perkins) is free to return home to the shock of Marion’s sister, Lila who also ended up marrying her sister’s boyfriend, Sam Loomis.

Norman returns against the advice of his doctor (Robert Loggia) and finds the place dilapidated. Also from the moment of his return, that old foreboding feeling is back. Along with old memories and his mother’s voice. The motel, under the management of Warren Toomey (Dennis Franz). Norman gets a job in a diner and a friend in a waitress, Mary Loomis (Meg Tilly).

When he discovers Mary needs a place to stay, he invites her to stay in the motel. When he discover’s Warren is using it as a drug den, Norman fires him and invites Mary to stay in the house. Meanwhile he gets to work renovating the motel. It all goes bad when a couple of teens break in to have sex and one of them is killed. Norman with no memory of anything still worried he killed the teen.

There’s something else going on here and may have something to do with the fact that Mary and Lila are related. Norman is being harassed by Warren, with phone calls and letters from an unknown person and is certain his mother is haunting him. His doctor begins uncovering the truth and convincing Norman that is isn’t true.

During all of this, Norman discovers his mother isn’t biologically his and his bio mother presents herself. We find out who she is how it happened that he was adopted and why. Plus her role in his institutionalization. It’s all too much and Norman’s psyche can’t handle it.

Good movie! Lots of unexpected story and recognizable faces. It all works well though it’s a little convoluted. Makes for a good story. There’s some blood but this is still mostly a psychological mystery. This movie is in color and is a continuation of the first. What’s amazing is Vera Miles reprises the role of Lila, so Perkins isn’t the only original character to return.