Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
1960s, the city of Clerville. The forthcoming visit of heiress Eva Kant, who'll be bringing a famous pink diamond with her, catches the attention of Diabolik, the infallible and elusive thief whose real identity is unknown: while trying to steal the jewel, he finds himself bewitched by Eva's charm, a feeling she may be reciprocating. But the police, led by relentless Inspector Ginko, is rapidly closing in on him...
The Manetti Bros.' adaptation of the beloved Italian fumetto is a loving, visually sumptuous recreation of the 1960s pop-art aesthetic, with lush widescreen compositions and a bold colour palette that genuinely evoke the Bava-era Italian genre cinema. However, the plot is thin and episodic, more a series of stylised set-pieces than a compelling narrative, and the ending feels abrupt and unresolved — functioning more as a franchise setup than a satisfying conclusion. The lead performances are deliberately mannered and cool in keeping with the source material, which works for Miriam Leone's Eva Kant but leaves Luca Marinelli's Diabolik somewhat opaque. Novelty is moderate: while the kitsch retro aesthetic is well-executed, this kind of Italian pop-art revival occupies familiar enough territory not to feel truly singular.