Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After a doctor kills his mistress and himself while researching the mysterious previous owner of his Boston home, his colleague, Dr. Norman Boyle, takes over his studies and moves his family into the Boston mansion. Soon after, Boyle's young son Bob becomes plagued by visions of a young girl, who warns him of the danger within the house.
Lucio Fulci's late-period gothic horror is atmospheric and visually accomplished, with Roger Pearce's cinematography delivering genuine dread through shadowy interiors and effective set design. The plot, however, is notoriously incoherent even by giallo standards — narrative logic is sacrificed for set-pieces, and character motivation is thin. Acting ranges from wooden to passable, with the English dubbing adding dissonance. Novelty earns a modest above-average as Fulci blends haunted house, zombie, and mad-scientist tropes into a distinctively dreamlike, illogical atmosphere that feels genuinely unnerving rather than formulaic — the film has an unmistakable Fulci signature. The ending, featuring the unsettling reveal of the young girl and the supernatural ambiguity, is one of the stronger aspects, landing with a surreal, melancholy punch that elevates the film above pure exploitation fare.