Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A razor-wielding serial killer is on the loose, murdering those around Peter Neal, an American mystery author in Italy to promote his newest novel.
Tenebre is one of Argento's most self-referential and deliberately intellectual gialli, with the meta-textual conceit of a crime novelist entangled in real murders adding genuine intrigue to the plot. The cinematography is exceptional — Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli deliver some of the most striking visual compositions in the genre, most famously the breathtaking crane shot that glides along the exterior of a villa. The acting is functional at best, with Dario Nicolodi and Anthony Franciosa delivering serviceable but unremarkable performances. The novelty sits firmly in giallo tradition but benefits from Argento's subversive deconstruction of the genre's own logic. The ending features a memorable and viscerally shocking twist that works well, though it edges into absurdity.