Bates Motel
Together until the end.
Created by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, Anthony Cipriano
On A&E
A dark, psychologically claustrophobic prequel centered on the toxic codependency between a mother and son spiraling toward inevitable tragedy.
A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film, albeit in a different fictional town and in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life.
Clusters
Where to watch
Questions people ask
Is Bates Motel scary? Yes, very. More frightening than 93% of series.
Does Bates Motel leave you hopeful? No. Less hopeful than 93% of series.
Is Bates Motel sad? Yes, very. More sad than 91% of series.
Is Bates Motel violent? Yes. More violent than 81% of series.
Is Bates Motel easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 75% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
- Whose Show Is It?Finding
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like Bates Motel, and what each one shares →
Like Bates Motel
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Bates Motel
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Bates Motel, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Bates Motel, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Bates Motel, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
