I've mentioned before that one of the best aspects of Psycho is its directing. Hitchcock, while an enormous asshole (kind of a funny one, tbh), knew his job inside and out and knew what function he wanted the camera to serve. In this case, the camera acts as an audience surrogate; rather than merely being the means by which we watch the movie, it does its damnedest to drag you into the movie's action as a key player: a witness. And its not really subtle about this either.

From the opening shot of the movie, Hitchcock pans over a city to establish the setting and then slowly zooms in through a partially opened window where you watch two people after an intimate moment. It's uncomfortable, you feel like you're watching something you aren't supposed to be and you were thrust into this scene the same way peeping toms get their kicks, under the same circumstances even. From now on, the movie aims to keep you involved in the action at all times whether as an external uncomfortable observer or by forcing you to be complicit.

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