Film · 2017
78/52
Directed by Alexandre O.Philippe · starring Guillermo del Toro, Alfred Hitchcock and Elijah Wood
- 1 h 31 min
- 15
- Documentary
USA- Released in the UK 2 November 2017
- 5.5 AverageMovieNCo
- 3.8 Users2 votes
- 7.2 Critics4 reviews
Synopsis
78/52 refers to the 78 shots and 52 cuts it took Hitchcock to perfect the shower scene in Psycho. The film dives into the making of one of the most iconic cinematic scenes taken from the 1960s classic. A must see for Hitchcock and thriller fans everywhere. Director, Alexandre O. Philippe, invites several other cinematic experts to discuss the genius of the scene in question. Together they engage in a debate over what makes the scene work, and how it has gained its prestigious status in cinematic history. The discussion is accompanied by Psycho playing in the background, and we are able to view the shower scene alongside the experts. 78/52 is very much a champion of Hitchcock's work on Psycho, and even suggests that it was this scene that changed cinema forever.
Where to watch 78/52
All the optionsAvailable now in the UK:
Availability checked on 8 November 2026.
The essentials
- Runtime
- 91 min1 hour and 31 minutes
- Rating
- 15Suitable only for 15 years and over
- How long is 78/52?
- 1 hour and 31 minutes (91 minutes).
- When was 78/52 released in the UK?
- It was released in the UK on 2 November 2017.
- Who directed 78/52?
- Alexandre O.Philippe.
- Who is in 78/52?
- It stars Guillermo del Toro, Alfred Hitchcock, Elijah Wood and Leigh Whannell.
- Where can I watch 78/52?
- In the UK it is available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.
Cast
Full cast (27)-
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- Director
- Alexandre O.Philippe
- Writers
- Alexandre O.Philippe
Videos and trailers
See the video
Photos and posters
All 4 photos
Reviews
All 4 reviewsWhat the critics say average 7.2 from 4 outlets
- 8.0 VarietyOwen Gleiberman
For a long time now, Alfred Hitchcock?s 'Psycho' has been two movies, and the hypnotic film-geek documentary 78/52 is an ingenious and irreverent master class in both of them.
Read - 8.0 New York TimesBen Kenigsberg
Even moviegoers who know 'Psycho' backward and forward...are bound to learn something new from the movie, which addresses the shower scene from critical, historical, theoretical and technical…
Read - 6.7 The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd
The film picks up when it gets down to shot-by-shot analysis, allowing editors and other interviewees to break down one of the most famous sequences in movie history
Read
Trivia
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Explication for the title
The shower scene in '[PSYCHO]' (1960) consists of 78 camera setups and 52 cuts, hence the documentary's title.
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Modern Black & White
All the modern-day interviews were filmed in black-and-white, to match the black-and-white excerpts from '[PSYCHO]'.
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Uncompleted scene
Although it is endlessly analyzed and dissected (and portions of it are shown forward, backward and in slow motion) the complete, uncut original "shower scene" this film is ostensibly about is never actually seen in its entirety here.
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Playboy
Marli Renfro, the body double for Janet Leigh, was also an original Playboy bunny and was featured on the cover of the September 1960 issue.
