Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho (1960) is often considered the first modern film, as it breached previously taboo subjects (eg premarital relations). For the uninitiated, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is on the run after embezzling some money. She ultimately seeks temporary shelter at the Bates Motel run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his unseen mother. Crane soon finds out that things are not as they seem and quickly meets her demise in the now famous shower scene. The film is an excellent example of how Hitchcock used suspense, rather than immediate gore and surprise to build tempo, plot and horror. The bottom line is that Psycho had aged extremely well due to the art that went into the direction and cinematography.