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Robert Bloch

Robert Bloch

Writer · Died September 23, 1994, aged 77 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Robert Albert Bloch (April 5, 1917 – September 23, 1994) was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock. He was also known as an excellent standup speaker with a wry sense of humour. He many times remarked that he had "the heart of a little boy", quipping "I keep it in a jar on my desk." Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle. H. P. Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent. Bloch was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter and a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America (1970) and was a member of that organisation and of Science Fiction Writers of America, the Writers' Guild, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Count Dracula Society.In 2008, The Library of America selected Bloch’s story “The Shambles of Ed Gein” for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American true crime. His favourites amongst his own novels were The Kidnapper, The Star Stalker, Psycho, Night-World and Strange Eons. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Bloch, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 5, 1917
Died
September 23, 1994 (aged 77)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 41 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 39% in 30 days

What are Robert Bloch's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Horror9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
31%
Morality
31%
Survival
22%
Ideas
7%
Power
4%
Society
3%
Bonds
2%
Identity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 10

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 4

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 6 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Dread
13
Melancholic
6
Absurd
3
Cold
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Unsettling11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous9

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert Bloch's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Bloch's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

41 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Bates Motel(2013)

    Show 50 episodes · Characters

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Psycho(1998)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Hunger(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Story

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Psycho IV: The Beginning(1990)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Monsters(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · Story

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Psycho III(1986)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 2 episodes · Story · Writer

  • Psycho II(1983)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Darkroom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 3 episodes · Story · Writer

  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Story

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The Return of Captain Nemo(1978)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Three Dangerous Ladies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Short Story

  • The Mannikin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Original Story

  • Sanfter Schrecken(1977)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dead Don't Die(1975)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Cat Creature (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Story · Teleplay

  • Asylum(1972)

    Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The House That Dripped Blood(1971)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Journey to the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • Torture Garden(1967)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Deadly Bees(1966)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Star Trek(1966)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • El Muñeco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer

  • Historias para no dormir(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Short Story

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Psychopath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer

  • Run for Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Skull(1965)

    Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Night Walker(1964)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Strait-Jacket(1964)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 7 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Cabinet of Caligari(1962)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Couch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Screenplay

  • The Grim Reaper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Teleplay

  • Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

  • Psycho(1960)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Lock-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 4 episodes · Writer

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 7 episodes · Story · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles from 1955 to 2013.

Biggest box office

Psycho (1998)

$37M worldwide

Highest rated

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 40: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting40 of 40: 39 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

By decade

1950s2 · crew1960s18 · crew1970s10 · crew1980s6 · crew1990s3 · crew2010s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Robert Bloch's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · writer

The Return of Captain Nemo (1978)

61st percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert Bloch's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles45–90 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles9–67 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles4–53 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles16–41 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles58–83 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Bloch work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Bloch's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Max Rosenberg shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers