Summary
- Giallo films are iconic for their mystery and gore, standing the test of time as some of the greatest horror movies ever made.
- Each giallo film brings something unique to the table, from mesmerizing camerawork to nail-biting suspenseful sequences.
- From Deep Red to Don’t Torture a Duckling, giallo films push boundaries with shocking twists and captivating narratives.
The Italian giallo movie is one of the most iconic subgenres of horror around, with several standout forerunners for the archetypal “perfect” film in the category. When it comes to Italian cinema, many audiences might be tempted to think of the classic spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone or striking neorealist dramas like The Bicycle Thief. However, Italian giallo films have been lurking under the surface of horror influence for decades now, with many prominent films in the genre being critical successes.
“Giallo” simply means yellow in Italian, the genre named after the cover art typical of Italian Mondadori crime pulp stories, of which the films took heavy inspiration from. Giallo films are characterized by mystery, murder, gore, and atmospheric tension, with or without supernatural elements. The best giallo films weather the test of time as not only outstanding entries in their own specific subgenre, but as some of the greatest horror movies ever made at all.
Related 10 Italian Movies Everyone Should See
From La Dolce Vita to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, there are a ton of must-see Italian movies across a wide range of different genres.
10 Deep Red
1975
Deep Red
Deep Red is a 1975 Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento. The story revolves around a jazz musician and a tenacious journalist who team up to solve the brutal murder of a psychic medium. Known for its stylistic cinematography and intense soundtrack, the film is a classic in the horror-thriller genre. David Hemmings and Daria Nicolodi star in lead roles, driving the suspenseful narrative to its chilling climax.
Director Dario Argento Release Date March 7, 1975 Cast David Hemmings , Daria Nicolodi , Gabriele Lavia , Macha Méril , Eros Pagni , Giuliana Calandra , Piero Mazzinghi , Glauco Mauri Runtime 127 Minutes
Considered to be the all-time greatest giallo film by many, Deep Red‘s inclusion on a list of the best films in the subgenre should come as no surprise. The film revolves around Marcus Daly, a simple music teacher and jazz pianist that witnesses the grisly murder of a psychic medium. This ends up entwining him in an intricate web of conspiracy and mystery that sees him witness all manner of horrors, not the least of which being an ominous house with a foul past.
Deep Red wears its influences from the works of Alfred Hitchcock on its sleeve, succeeding in many of the same ways that Hitchcock’s own famous thrillers did while adding a distinct flair that elevates it from simple imitation to loving homage. The eye-popping special effects are also nothing to take lightly, lovingly rendered by Carlo Rambaldi of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial fame. From the killer’s sinister black gloves, which would go on to become a genre staple, to David Hemmings’ brilliant performance, Deep Red is a truly macabre masterpiece.
9 The Bird With The Crystal Plumage
1970
The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970)
An American writer living in Rome witnesses an attempted murder that is connected to an ongoing killing spree in the city, and conducts his own investigation despite himself and his girlfriend being targeted by the killer.
Director Dario Argento Release Date June 12, 1970 Cast Tony Musante , Suzy Kendall , Enrico Maria Salerno , Eva Renzi , Umberto Raho , Renato Romano , Giuseppe Castellano , Mario Adorf Runtime 96 Minutes
Although The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a rather conventional giallo film that came out after the genre’s conventions had already been well-established, it is highly regarded for a good reason. The film stars Tony Mustante as Sam Dalmas, an American writer living in Rome alongside his model girlfriend. While suffering from a bout of writer’s block, Dalmas witnesses a shocking murder, and quickly becomes obsessed with unmasking the mysterious perpetrator.
Thrilling critics and audiences alike at the time of its release,
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
wouldn’t be wise to overlook
Even if its plot is stock-standard for a giallo film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage manages to be hypnotically captivating. The daring editing choices and intricate camerawork all contribute to a feeling of madness that parallels Dalmas own obsessive pursuit of such a dangerous man. Thrilling critics and audiences alike at the time of its release, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage wouldn’t be wise to overlook.
8 Blood & Black Lace
1964
It’s rare that a single film so clearly inspires such a wide breadth of different filmmakers as Blood & Black Lace does. Upon viewing the film for the first time, its fingerprints on the films of horror visionaries like Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese become strikingly obvious. Blood & Black Lace is a classic whodunnit that examines the murder of a beautiful model, whose diary threatens to reveal delicate secrets of every suspect.
Every frame of Blood & Black Lace is truly a painting, with striking usages of color and shadow that feel like a lost art in comparison to the sterile and haphazardly-lit sets of modern filmmaking. The slasher sequences of the film’s terrifying white-masked killer went on to become the blueprint for all manner of slasher villains, from Friday the 13th‘s Jason to Halloween‘s Michael Myers. Influential among all manner of horror movies,Blood & Black Lace is a dark spectacle that needs to be seen to be believed.
7 Tenebrae
1982
Tenebrae
Tenebrae (also known as Tenebre in Italian) is a horror mystery film by writer-director Dario Argento released in 1982. Peter Neal, a writer, becomes the center of a murder investigation when a killer inspired by his work arises. Neal decides to investigate the case himself with two partners as he and the police race to find the killer as the body count continues to rise.
Director Dario Argento Release Date October 27, 1982 Cast Anthony Franciosa , John Saxon , Daria Nicolodi , Giuliano Gemma , Carola Stagnaro , John Steiner , Veronica Lario , Mirella D’Angelo Runtime 101 Minutes
A later addition to the giallo space, Tenebrae is a cheeky meta-commentary that nevertheless manages to provide an expectedly captivating murder mystery as promised by director Dario Argento’s name. Tenebrae is named after a series of novels written by its protagonist, another American novelist. As he tours Rome to promote his latest releases, his movements are hounded by a series of murders that seem to be related to his fictional work.
Tenebrae is clearly a meditative film on behalf of Dario Argento, who likens the fan response to his own films to the killer’s erratic behavior. The criticism Argento’s stand-in protagonist faces is similar to that which had been thrown at the lauded director, responsible for many famous giallo films. That being said, Tenebrae doesn’t lean on this allegory to the point of becoming preachy, and still is able to deliver a justifiably captivating horror thriller that outdoes many of its peers in terms of sheer suspense.
6 Torso
1973
The fifth giallo film of genius director Sergio Martino, Torso pushed the limits of body horror in a giallo film with twisted fascination. The plot revolves around a string of grotesque murders plaguing the University of Preugia, with young students turning up not only dead, but horribly mutilated. Suspects range from kindly unassuming professors to classless delinquents on motorcycles, with the signature murder weapon of a red and black scarf being the only hard piece of evidence to look out for.
Heavily censored in the United States for good reason, Torso might be one of the most stomach-churning gialli around, which is saying something considering the genre’s inherent brutality. Beyond simple shock value, Torso‘s clever use of dramatic irony also crafts one of the most nailbiting final sequences of any giallo film as the gorgeous female lead attempts to carefully navigate away from the murderer. A key step in the creation of the modern slasher movie, Torso shouldn’t be ignored.
5 Don’t Torture A Duckling
1972
Unlike most giallo films, which are content to take place in bustling metropolises like Rome, Don’t Torture a Duckling was one of the most prominent slashers to move the setting to a more rural location. Set in a small village in Southern Italy, the film focuses on a reporter and a young girl’s efforts to apprehend a serial killer targeting young children. What follows is a disturbing examination of the darkest depths of human desire, making for a difficult watch even by giallo standards.
Don’t Torture a Duckling doesn’t shy away from gore or even sexual violence, exploring the previous motivations behind its killer’s horrific actions. The film also flirts with the supernatural, roping in small-town superstition to the very real crimes against humanity being committed in the isolated village. It’s the commentary on life in rural Italy, not to mention the reveal of the villain’s twisted motivation, that makes Don’t Torture a Duckling reverberate in the minds of horror viewers for years to come.
4 Cruising
1980
Cruising (1980) Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Cruising is a 1980 thriller directed by William Friedkin, starring Al Pacino as an undercover police officer infiltrating New York City’s gay nightlife to solve a series of brutal murders. The film explores themes of identity and morality as the protagonist delves deeper into the subculture and the investigation.
Director William Friedkin Release Date February 15, 1980 Cast Al Pacino , Paul Sorvino , Karen Allen Runtime 102 Minutes
Intensely controversial at the time of its release, Cruising is a true-to-the-style giallo film with a unique LGBTQIA+ angle. Starring Al Pacino in a leading role as detective Steve Burns, the film centers around the identity of a serial killer living in New York City. It’s up to Burns to immerse himself in gay culture in order to stand a chance at arresting the perpetrator.
Noteworthy giallo film deserving of the title despite its American origins
Cruising was panned by vocal detractors for its allegedly negative depiction of the gay community, linking gruesome serial murders to the scene. However, looking through a modern lens, the film seems shockingly progressive for its time, with Al Pacino throwing down a noteworthy performance as the protagonist of an ambiguous sexual orientation. In reality, Cruising was one of the earliest films to shed light on the very real issue of violence inflicted on queer communities, making it a noteworthy giallo film deserving of the title despite its American origins.
3 The Psychic
1977
Not every giallo film incorporated outright supernatural elements, but those that did used them to enhance the drama in profoundly fascinating ways. To this end, The Psychic is one of the best examples of a red-blooded giallo movie that depicts paranormal phenomena. The film revolves around a clairvoyant woman, the titular psychic, whose mind becomes assaulted with haunting visions of death. When she finds a literal skeleton in the walls of her husband’s house, she’s forced to investigate him, realizing that he may not be what he seems.
Unlike many other of its contemporaries, The Psychic is refreshingly light on blood and gore. Instead, director Lucio Folci cleverly relies on his protagonist’s visions to drive the narrative stakes forward, resulting in a murder mystery with an impressively restrained final body count. The captivating mystery of The Psychic is one of the most well-executed of any film in the subgenre, standing out for the strength of its writing alone.
2 The Evil Eye
1963
Essentially the very first giallo movie, The Evil Eye was the first film to truly translate the success of the classic Italian crime thriller novel to the big screen. Technically, The Evil Eye referrs to the American cut of the film, with the Italian-edited title The Girl Who Knew Too Much being the preferred final release of many giallo lovers. The film centers around an American girl vacationing in Rome who gets caught up in, what else, a morbid series of deaths that seem too coincidental to be real.
The Evil Eye blurs the line between fiction and reality, with the leading woman Nora’s obsession of giallo crime books making the audience unsure if she can be trusted as a reliable narrator. The gorgeous black-and-white cinematography elevates the tension and actions to new heights with its ambiguous final look, making for a captivating start to an entire genre of horror films. If it wasn’t for The Evil Eye, the giallo movie as it is known today likely wouldn’t exist.
1 The House With Laughing Windows
1976
With a seemingly innocent setup, The House with Laughing Windows is quickly able to plunge viewers into a sadistic roller coaster of murderous intrigue. The plot centers around a painter who is commissioned to restore a controversial mural on the side of a church, drawing the ire of opposition who would rather see the artwork covered up. Soon, the religious fervor behind this sentiment puts the painter’s life in danger as he attempts to complete the work he promised.
Another less gory giallo that opts to isolate its protagonist in an eerie country setting, The House with Laughing Windows steeps its sinister actors in religious themes. With smartly-written characters, a haunting original score, and gorgeous cinematography, the film is able to keep one guessing without overloading the senses, as is common within the genre. The House with Laughing Windows also features one of the most devestating twist endings of any giallo film, cementing its place as a horror masterwork.