Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Roberto, a drummer in a rock band, keeps receiving weird phone calls and being followed by a mysterious man. One night he manages to catch up with his persecutor and tries to get him to talk but in the ensuing struggle he accidentally stabs him. He runs away, but he understands his troubles have just begun when the following day he receives an envelope with photos of him killing the man. Someone is killing all his friends and trying to frame him for the murders.
Dario Argento's third giallo film is a stylish if somewhat uneven entry in the genre. The plot is a solid whodunit with blackmail and escalating murders, though it relies on familiar giallo conventions and the mystery's resolution feels a bit contrived. Acting is competent but unremarkable, with Michael Brandon carrying the lead adequately. Cinematography is genuinely exceptional — Argento and DP Franco Di Palma deliver inventive compositions, dynamic lighting, and some memorably creative set-pieces including the innovative use of retinal photography as a plot device. Novelty sits at genre-standard giallo territory; while distinctive in Argento's filmography as a transitional work, it doesn't reach the singular heights of Deep Red or Suspiria. The ending, while attempting a twist, feels rushed and somewhat unsatisfying compared to the stylish buildup.