Anthony Hopkins stars as the famous director Alfred Hitchcock . Helen Hunt plays Hitchcock 's long - suffering wife , Alma Reville . What 's worse , this mild , mediocre act of feminist revisionism seems oblivious to the very real , enduring and profound power of `` Psycho , '' which is so much more than just an effective scare machine . Alma is the true heroine of the story , according to the critic . ` ` ' '' chooses to be the villain , he says .
Anthony Hopkins stars as the famous director Alfred Hitchcock . Helen Hunt plays Hitchcock 's long - suffering wife , Alma Reville . Alma is the true heroine of the story , according to the critic . ` ` ' '' chooses to be the villain , he says .