YMMV / Psycho IV: The Beginning

• Awesome Music: Then-unknown Graeme Revell's adaptation of Bernard Herrmann's iconic score.
• Catharsis Factor:
  • Norman killing his abusive mother Norma and her jackass boyfriend, slowly and painfully.
  • Adult Norman burning his old home as way of breaking with his sordid past.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Holly (Norman's first victim in the flashbacks) seems to be widely liked despite her small role (while she isn't even named in the movie itself people tend to find her rather cute and likable, and rather pretty as well.) In this clip from the actress about the (then upcoming) "The Psycho Legacy" documentary, there are even a few posts from people saying she's the thing they liked most about the film.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: Norman's previous love interests Mary and Maureen's deaths were not all for nothing as they were able to inspire Norman with enough hope in himself that he eventually did pull a Heel–Face Turn in the fourth movie that stuck.
• Heartwarming Moments: Though Psycho IV was not well received, the ending where Norman stops himself from killing Connie, lets go of his fear of creating a monster, and burns down his house and the bad memories he had there is one that can warm the heart.
• Moment of Awesome:
  • Norman burning down the old house full of terrible memories in the fourth movie. After facing all the horrible people from his Dark and Troubled Past, Norman is able to lock away the memory of his mother in the ruins of their old house forever.
  • Even though it ended badly, young adult Norman attracting a beautiful woman.
  • Norman finally killing people who deserved to die. He offs his mother and her lover Chet by poisoning their tea. However, unlike the original film, it's revealed that the two attempted to kill Norman before the poison overcame them. We see Norman finally defend himself and whup their asses in a futile fist fight as they die an excruciating death as the poison destroys their insides.
  • The ending with Norman finally regaining a normal life and his sanity after four films of suffering.
• Moral Event Horizon: It's very likely that Norma Bates passed it long ago, but she became the most monstrous character in the series when we find out about all the despicable abuses she tormented her son with.
• Sequelitis: Common consensus seems to be that Psycho IV is just plain lousy, albeit not completely awful.
• So Okay, It's Average: Psycho IV has also gotten this reaction since it does a good job at showing the traumatic backstory to Norman, but is mostly not as visually challenging or deep as the previous installments.
• Take That, Scrappy!: The therapist who diagnosed Bates at the end of the first movie is called out on his bullshit by none other than C.C.H. Pounder.
• Tear Jerker:
  • Seeing Norman's childhood is painful. It's hard to imagine living with Norma Bates and not losing your mind.
  • Norman fearing that his unborn child will turn out as crazy as he did. He's so torn up about it that he thinks the best solution is to kill his wife and unborn baby so another child like him won't exist and he'll be locked up forever again so he can kill off his terror for good.
  • His first victims were a teenage girl who had the hots for him, and a beautiful grown woman.
  • The first girl was a happy, wild girl who had a crush on Norman for a while and decided to make the first move on him. He really wants to date her, but of course, his fear of his mother is preventing him. Unable to take no for an answer, she tries pressuring Norman into being her boyfriend. He finally gives in and invites her to his house where she hopes their relationship will finally blossom, but she learns about why he's isolated from everyone else the hard way. Just to twist the knife further, it's clear he really does care about her, as he tries to protect her from his "mother" personality, and begs "her" not to make him kill the girl, but he ultimately has no choice.
  • Although his second love didn't get much character, she suffers the cruelest death in the entire series. Well, alongside Norma, Chet, and Duke, but they deserved it. While waiting for Norman to get back to her car, he jumps her from behind, attempting to strangle her. She passes out, only to reawaken at the swamp. Where Norman is trying to load her body in her own trunk to dump in the lake. Afraid, Norman strangles her again in a fit of panic. Not Mother, Norman. After loading her body in the trunk, he pushes it into the lake, only for his ex-girlfriend to regain consciousness and pound on the trunk screaming as she remains trapped in her sinking car gasping for air. Even Norman is disturbed by her harsh end.
• The Woobie:
  • We see how awful Norman's childhood was. His mother was insane and demeaned him, killing her didn't help him escape her, and he is considering putting down his pregnant wife, because he doesn't want his unborn child to inherit his insanity. We cheer when that awful house finally goes up in flames, along with his poisonous past.
  • Holly (the first victim) is a very cute and lovable girl who just wants to be Norman's girlfriend. His "mother" personality forces him to kill her for no other reason than that she (Holly) wanted to have sex with him, and she dies screaming in abject terror.