What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBates Motel
Carlton Cuse · Series · 2013
If you loved Bates Motel, start with Psycho (Robert Bloch, 1959) — a book from the same story. Below: 1 book, 1 film and 2 podcasts, each matched to Bates Motel across media.
What hooked you in Bates Motel was the unsettling way domestic intimacy curdles into dangerous psychological obsession within isolated settings.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock · Film · 1960
Books on the same thread
Psycho
Robert Bloch · Book · 1959
Shares a thread with Bates Motel: Mental Illness.
If you loved Bates Motel, this original novel provides the foundational blueprint for Norman’s mental illness and isolation, offering a deeper look into the obsession that drives the narrative.
Films on the same thread
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock · Film · 1960
Shares a thread with Bates Motel: Mother-Son Relationship.
This film is essential for any fan of Bates Motel, as it perfectly captures the toxic mother-son dynamic and the voyeuristic tension that defines the franchise’s most iconic moments.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
Much like the coastal town in Bates Motel, this podcast explores the suffocating weight of small-town secrets and the eccentric characters who emerge from deep-seated isolation and social decay.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
While Bates Motel leans into darker thriller territory, you will recognize the complex family dynamics and the focus on community relationships that anchor this long-running, serialized rural drama.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Bates Motel a direct sequel to the 1960 movie Psycho?
No, Bates Motel is not a direct sequel. It is a contemporary prequel that depicts the life of Norman and Norma Bates prior to the events portrayed in the 1960 film Psycho, set in a modern coastal Oregon town rather than the original timeline.
Should I watch the movie Psycho before starting Bates Motel?
You do not need to watch the 1960 movie Psycho to understand the plot of Bates Motel. While the series serves as a prequel to the film, it functions as a standalone modern adaptation that explores the origin story of the characters in a new setting.
Is Bates Motel based on the book Psycho?
Bates Motel is inspired by the characters and premise found in the 1959 book Psycho by Robert Bloch. The series acts as a contemporary prequel to the story, reimagining the lives of Norman and Norma Bates in a modern setting before the events of the original source material.
What is the premise of Bates Motel?
Bates Motel follows the life of Norman Bates and his mother, Norma, after the death of her husband. The series depicts their move to a coastal Oregon town where Norma purchases a motel to start a new life, serving as a prequel to the events of the film Psycho.