Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Stefano, a young restorer, is commissioned to save a controversial mural located in the church of a small, isolated village.
Pupi Avati's deeply unsettling Italian giallo-adjacent horror stands apart from its contemporaries through an atmosphere of creeping rural dread rather than flashy set-pieces. The Po Valley setting is rendered with genuinely distinctive cinematography — bleached, oppressive, and suffocating. The mystery of the mural's deranged painter and his sisters builds with unusual patience and psychological weight. The ending is genuinely shocking and memorable, delivering a payoff that feels earned rather than gratuitous. Acting is competent but uneven, as typical of the era's regional Italian productions, and the plotting occasionally meanders in the second act. Still, the film's singular voice and unforgettable atmosphere make it a true one-of-a-kind work in European horror.