Psycho (1960)

Psycho invented the modern slasher genre by killing its protagonist in the first act, shocking 1960 audiences and grossing over $50 million—a 62.5x return on its $800,000 budget. Alfred Hitchcock used Bernard Herrmann's iconic shrieking strings score, which remains the most recognizable horror soundtrack, and it's cheaper than the typical rival by relying on black-and-white cinematography to cut costs. The shower scene, with 78 camera setups and 52 cuts, set a new standard for suspense.