Keep Telling Yourself It’s Only A Movie: Horror’s Most Controversial Films

4. Psycho (1960)

This film was hugely controversial when it was first released. In 1932 Hollywood studios operated under what was known as the “Production Code”. This code attempted to regulate what directors could and could not put on-screen. Some examples included excessive or lustful kissing and sympathy for criminals.

During Psycho’s release, the conservative audiences were mortified to see a toilet flushing, the infamous shower scene and the fact that Norman Bates was a cross dresser.