Quentin Tarantino Prefers Psycho Remake Over Hitchcock’s Original

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Quentin Tarantino, known for his strong opinions and acclaimed films over the past three decades, recently surprised many by saying he prefers a remake of a classic movie over the original. Despite having a wide range of inspirations, the famous director has stated that Alfred Hitchcock is not among them.

Alfred Hitchcock is widely considered a cinematic master, but Quentin Tarantino has consistently disagreed, believing Hitchcock’s work is overrated. Surprisingly, Tarantino even dislikes one of Hitchcock’s most famous horror films and actually prefers a remake of it – a remake that most people consider inferior.

Quentin Tarantino Prefers Gus Van Sant’s Psycho Remake To Hitchcock’s Masterpiece

Alfred Hitchcock is still considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. In 1960, he created the iconic horror film Psycho. The movie centers around Norman Bates, a motel owner who murders his guests. Psycho was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director, and has since spawned three sequels, a remake, and even a television series.

Critics generally loved the film, and its innovative approach—particularly the shocking early death of the main character, Janet Leigh—has influenced many movies since. Hitchcock understood these twists, especially the reveal about Norman’s mother, were pivotal and famously pleaded with audiences not to reveal the ending to others.

Quentin Tarantino recently shared that he’s never been a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock or his film Psycho. While this isn’t shocking for those familiar with his interviews, he did surprisingly reveal he actually prefers Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho over the original.

In 1988, director Gus Van Sant created a color remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, filming it shot-for-shot with a new cast. Vince Vaughn took on the role of Norman Bates, and Anne Heche played Marion Crane. Interestingly, Quentin Tarantino has stated in interviews that he prefers Brian De Palma’s films inspired by Hitchcock over Hitchcock’s originals.

Tarantino strongly supported Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho, even though it wasn’t successful with audiences or critics. Many questioned why Van Sant would recreate the film so closely, but Tarantino believed Van Sant was at least attempting something new and interesting with the project, calling it an ‘experiment’.

Quentin Tarantino has shown his support for director Gus Van Sant by repeatedly screening Van Sant’s film Psycho at his Los Angeles cinema, New Beverly Cinema.

Quentin Tarantino Even Liked Psycho’s Sequels Better Than The Movies

Surprisingly, Quentin Tarantino has stated he actually likes Psycho II more than the original Psycho. He believes director Richard Franklin faced a tough challenge making the sequel because the first Psycho is now considered a classic and is highly respected. Fortunately, Anthony Perkins returned to play Norman Bates, and the screenplay was written by Tom Holland, known for Child’s Play.

Hitchcock enjoyed a much higher reputation in the past. By the 1980s, he was almost worshipped as a master filmmaker, and even suggesting a remake or sequel to one of his films was considered a serious offense.

Tarantino explained he preferred Richard Franklin to Hitchcock, admiring Franklin’s work more. He even nicknamed Franklin the “Australian Hitchcock.” Tarantino pointed out that Franklin’s sequel offered a fresh take on the story, building on the original rather than simply repeating it.

Quentin Tarantino believes Anthony Perkins’ performance in Psycho II surpasses his original role in Psycho, even calling it one of the greatest performances in horror history. He explained that the sequel allows the audience to actually hope for Norman Bates’ recovery, which elevates the performance.

Tarantino Explains Why He Doesn’t Like Alfred Hitchcock’s Movies

Quentin Tarantino hasn’t hidden his feelings about Alfred Hitchcock’s movies – he doesn’t like them. He’s specifically criticized films like North by Northwest and Vertigo, calling them just okay for their time. He even went further, bluntly dismissing Hitchcock’s Frenzy as terrible.

Tarantino reiterates that his views are just his opinion, but he still strongly criticizes people who only recently see North by Northwest and love it, calling it a fairly average film. Despite this, the movie is highly rated – it has a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered culturally important enough to be included in the National Film Registry.

Quentin Tarantino believes Alfred Hitchcock was limited by the filmmaking standards of his era. He also admitted he isn’t a big fan of Hitchcock’s films, specifically finding the endings unsatisfying. Tarantino clarified this was simply his personal take.

Quentin Tarantino believes Alfred Hitchcock’s films would have been even better if he’d been working in the 1970s. He feels the restrictions of the 1950s, specifically the Hays Code, held Hitchcock back. The code dictated what filmmakers could and couldn’t show, forcing Hitchcock to imply things instead of depicting them directly.

Quentin Tarantino has mentioned he felt too old to convincingly direct films set in the 1950s by the time he was able to. He also pointed out that Alfred Hitchcock cleverly used the restrictions of the Hays Code to his advantage – by being forced to imply shocking things, Hitchcock could deliver his message in a more subtle and impactful way.

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2025-11-28 22:11