'Psycho' Named the Thriller with the Best Plot Twist of All Time

Nicole MooreSun, August 30, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTC

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While not every thriller features a deeply surprising moment that rattles viewers, some of the very best movies in the genre are famous for their startling revelations. For instance, the publication Collider recently spotlighted a few thrillers with major curveballs by releasing a ranking of “20 thriller movies with the best plot twists.”

The list, published on August 26, featured films like 2001’s Mulholland Drive, Oldboy, released in 2003, 2019’sParasite, and Se7en, from 1995. According to Collider, the thriller with “the best plot twist” is 1960’s Psycho, adapted from Robert Bloch‘s 1959 novel. The publication referenced that the Alfred Hitchcockfilm includes a very iconic twist involving Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and the identity of his “mother.”

Psycho, which also stars Janet Leigh and Vera Miles, holds a score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alfred Hitchcock Discussed the Shocking Elements of ‘Psycho’ in a 1960 Interview

Hitchcock, who died in 1980 at the age of 80, discussed Psycho in a 1960 interview for Picture Parade. He said that Psycho was his “first attempt at a shocker.”

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“In other words, it has in its content certain episodes which do shock in some sense, it could be called a horror film, but the horror only comes to you after you’ve seen it when you get home in the dark,” teased the filmmaker, who also directed The Birds (1963), Rear Window (1954), and Vertigo (1958).

He also shared that he believed audiences enjoy being scared from the safety of their theater seats.

“Audiences love to enjoy the very thing that they have built in, and that’s fear. That all started when the mother said, ‘Boo,’ but for some inexplicable reason they like to, how shall I say, put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it’s like. That’s why they go for rides on switchbacks and scream and scream, and then get off, giggling,” said the director in the 1960 interview.

This story was originally published by Parade on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”