In Italian cinema, ‘giallo’ (literally ‘yellow’) is a genre that often contains slasher, thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural horror elements. (Wikipedia)
#–A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I-J-K–L–M–N-O–P-Q-R–S–T–U–V–W-X-Y-Z
A
A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (Italian: Una lucertola con la pelle di donna)
Released: 1971
Director: Lucio Fulci
Synopsis: The potentially unhinged daughter of a British politician is accused of killing her hedonistic neighbor after she witnesses the murder in a dream. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
All the Colors of the Dark (Italian: Tutti i colori del buio) (aka They’re Coming to Get You!)
Released: 1972
Director: Sergio Martino
Synopsis: A woman recovering from a car accident in which she lost her unborn child finds herself pursued by a coven of devil worshipers. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Amer
Released: 2009
Directors: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Synopsis: Ana survives a childhood defined by death and voyeurism inside a coastal villa, only to face the same shadowy predators as an adult when she returns to the decaying estate. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Animal trilogy
Released: 1970-1971
Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: In The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Italian: L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo), an American writer vacationing in Rome attempts to unmask a serial killer; in The Cat o’ Nine Tails (Italian: Il gatto a nove code), a reporter and a blind puzzle writer investigate a series of murders; and in Four Flies on Grey Velvet (Italian: 4 mosche di velluto grigio), a musician is stalked by an unknown homicidal maniac, who blackmails him for the accidental killing of another stalker. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
B
The Black Belly of the Tarantula (Italian: La tarantola dal ventre nero, lit. Six Women for the Murderer)
Released: 1971
Director: Paolo Cavara
Synopsis: An increasingly troubled inspector hunts a killer who paralyzes women before murdering them, all while a web of blackmail and connections to a deceptive spa deepen the investigation. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Blood and Black Lace (Italian: 6 donne per l’assassino)
Released: 1964
Director: Mario Brava
Synopsis: A masked, shadowy killer brutally murders the models of a scandalous fashion house in Rome. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
C
The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail (Italian: La coda dello scorpione)
Released: 1971
Director: Sergio Martino
Synopsis: An investigator seeks to determine the legitimacy of a life insurance payout being made to a heiress in the wake of her husband’s death, but he soon finds himself suspected of her murder. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
D
Dark Glasses (Italian: Occhiali neri)
Released: 2022
Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: Blinded luxury escort Diana must navigate a pitch-black world while a relentless, dog-obsessed strangler stalks her through Rome, promising a sensory-deprived cat-and-mouse nightmare. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Deep Red (Italian: Profondo rosso)
Released: 1975
Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: Obsessed by a fleeting visual memory, English jazz pianist Marcus Daly hunts a savage, black-gloved killer through a labyrinth of nightmarish architectural spaces, promising a hyper-stylized descent into pure auditory and visual terror. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Don’t Torture a Duckling (Italian: Non si sevizia un paperino)
Released: 1972
Director: Lucio Fulci
Synopsis: When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
E
The Editor
Released: 2014
Directors: Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy
Synopsis: A film editor gets embroiled in a string of murders. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
Eyeball (Italian: Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro, lit. Red Cats in a Glass Maze)
Released: 1975
Director: Umberto Lenzi
Synopsis: A maniac killer in a red cape and hood is killing off American tourists on a tour bus by gouging out their eyeballs. (IMDb)
Verdict: Coming soon
G
The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Italian: La ragazza che sapeva troppo – U.S: Evil Eye)
Released: 1963
Director: Mario Bava
Synopsis: On a trip to Rome, a young woman becomes caught up in a murder-mystery.
Verdict: Considered to be the first giallo film, this classic continues to be a strong lesson in how to conduct a thrilling murder-mystery. Although colour film was on the cusp of becoming the norm in the mid-60s, black and white creates a tense atmosphere that the plot of this film plot demanded. Shadow and slashes of light in the dark are used to tremendous suspenseful effect alongside the architecture of Rome, inviting by day and a looming presence at night. Letícia Román is a wonderful lead, and the film is an interesting study in the complexities of female characters, especially in this genre. 4/5
O
Opera
Released: 1987
Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: A young opera singer is stalked by a killer who forces her to watch as he kills.
Verdict: Perhaps one of Argento’s best films, Opera is a bastardised Phantom of the Opera, and with a heck of a lot more blood. The way the killer forces the girl to watch by sticking needles in front of her eyes feels quite original, and although it has a sexual tone to it, whether intentional or not, the story, performances and sets work well along with the slasher nature of the film. 4/5
P
Phenomena (US: Creepers)
Released: 1985
Director: Dario Argento
Synopsis: Jennifer (Jennifer Connelly), the daughter of a famous actor, arrives at a boarding school in Switzerland, where her sleep walking issue returns. As a result, she finds she is able to communicate with insects, and she uses her abilities to track down a serial killer.
Verdict: If you want that B-movie horror style that also at least attempts to have some credibility, you can’t go wrong with an Argento flick, and you may be especially satisfied with Phenomena. The story is pretty unique, the VFX fairly sturdy (for the time), and the performances, while typically hammy, are fun and engrossing, especially from a super young Connelly. 4/5