Stoker: stylish Hitchcockian psychological psychopath movie

Someone said to me before I saw the movie “You know it’s a thriller?” It’s not, then again it’s hard to say what Stoker is. It’s not a thriller because the plot give no thrills. Charlie is obviously a killer. This is not a criticism as, despite the obvious characterisation and plot, this is a fine movie. Perhaps the best description would be a psychological psychopath movie. You are drawn into the cold, calculating mind(s) of the psychopath through great film making. Every scene is finely judged and shot with precision. The life drawing class, is beautifully shot, where you see how India’s obsessive but penetrating mind works. The shower scene is brave and disturbing.So stylish it is but not without reason. Charlie is clearly based on Norman bates, same hairstyle, same demeanour and the film plays on southern, Gothic beauty with plenty of homages to Hitchcock. In a curious twist of fate Tony Scott, the co-producer, and younger brother of Ridley Scott, committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles.