The house has every contemporary luxury necessary in 2015, yet it still feels like 1960. And even though there’s a cell phone in his pocket, Norman’s (Freddie Highmore) wardrobe frequently appears out of date. Their iconic hilltop home overlooking the motel appears lost in time, while Norma (Vera Farmiga) drives a classic early ‘70s Mercedes (when she’s not preparing dinner in an apron). Meanwhile, there’s a sense that the Bates family’s “present-day” life is colored by the past. The show’s core is an exploration of how this seemingly sweet and caring young man transitions into the detached serial killer in Hitchcock’s film, and it of course tracks the impact of his relationship with his mother on that transformation. Turning Bates Motel into a contemporary story gives the creative team the space to choose the directions they want to follow for the characters. “Then I think you can really feel the pressure to be living literally in the shadow of the movie and that felt way too confining.” “Right from the get-go, I would not have done the show if it was period,” he says. A period piece set prior to the events of Psycho was never an option, and it wouldn’t have worked. The show is not bound by its source material, but cites it as an inspiration.Ĭarlton Cuse, creator of Bates Motel and former writer/producer of Lost (2004), says the show needs a modern-day setting. This bold choice to disregard logical timing frees the series to grow into more than just the backstory to a classic film. This tragic framing colors every decision and every nuanced movement the characters make, and the show hinges on audience curiosity about the twisted path that leads to Psycho’s chilling events.īut what really adds to the show’s puzzling appeal is the fact that it’s set in the present day, yet it imagines the origin story of Norman’s early life, which-in Hitchcock’s timeline-should have happened in the 1940s. There’s an increased sense of dread when you know where the story is headed. Much of this drama stems from the fact that audiences know the ending it is, after all, a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 horror classic Psycho, and as the show’s Netflix blurb is keen to remind us, everyone knows the person Norman Bates becomes. It has an air of mystery and suspense that permeates every moment. Bates Motel (2013)‘s odd atmosphere and tone make it different from anything else on television.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |