“Psycho IV: The Beginning” is the fourth and final entry in the original “Psycho” series. The first film was of course a classic and I thought the second was a highly underrated follow-up. The third film was disposable but it’s great to see the series back on track for this finale. Like “Psycho II”, this one meaningfully expands on the original concept.

Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins “Psycho”, “The Trial”) calls a radio show discussing men who have murdered their mothers. He begins to reminiscence about the past while also threatening to kill again. As we unlock the disturbing secrets of his youth, we learn of even more terrifying things to come.

It’s great to see Perkins back one last time as Norman Bates. He really created one of the all-time great horror villains in the original movie and the way the sequels make him even more complex is just fantastic too. Henry Thomas (“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”) is good as the young Norman during the flashback sequences. He looks like a young Anthony Perkins and manages to copy those iconic mannerisms that I still recall from the original classic. Olivia Hussey (“Black Christmas”, “Death On The Nil”) is brilliant as Norma Bates. Also, keep an eye for John Landis (“Schlock”, “The Blues Brothers”).

Although I think the radio show idea is somewhat clever, those scenes do drag a little bit and it’s clear that this movie was made with a much smaller budget than some of the earlier films. This one was a tv movie rather than a theatrical release so it’s unsurprising that it looks cheaper. It’s obviously not a match for the terrific original nor is it quite as intriguing as “Psycho II” but it’s so much better than “Psycho III”. I really like the way this one finishes the storyline for the Norman Bates character. He truly is one of the greatest characters in cinema history.