Tenebre

Many years ago, during the heyday of my obsessive horror watching, I had a chance to see Dario Argento's Tenebre (1982).

This movie is considered by many to be one of his finest works, but I loathed it. I found it uninteresting, long winded and frankly boring. I enjoyed the ending, but that was it.

Looking back, I'd say I came in to the film with the wrong expectations. I had previously seen and enjoyed some of his other movies like Suspiria (1977), Inferno (1980) and Opera (1987). Suspiria and Inferno are part of a loose trilogy of supernatural horror, and I liked them well enough. Opera was and still is, one of the most stylish horror films I've ever seen.

At first I thought that the lack of anything supernatural in Tenebre might have been what was wrong with it. But Opera is also without anything supernatural, so that wasn't what I disliked.

Last week, I was itching for an older horror classic and tripping over Tenebre, I thought, why not? I have certainly seen worse movies since my first outing with ol' Tenebre. You know what? I actually liked it.

As I said, there is nothing supernatural here, it's a thriller with slasher elements through and through. I'd even question if it really is a horror film at all. It sits on the fence between genres, I suppose.

A mystery writer goes to Rome on a book tour for his latest hit, Tenebre, and becomes involved in a police investigation of a deranged killer who murders those he/she sees as deviants, using the novel as inspiration. The killer also sends the writer gloating notes after each kill.

This is the plot in a nutshell. We get to see each kill in sometimes very bloody detail, which is what separates it from a regular whodunnit or serial killer thriller.

The plot is simple, which is a boon as you try to figure out who the killer is before it's too late.

Argento has done a great job from a technical standpoint. The film is visually wonderful, a real joy to watch, with some amazing shots. The general mood is both surreal and realistic at times, which heightens the violence rather than distracts from it. There aren't that many kills overall, which again is good for the balance of the film.

The biggest “problem”, is the soundtrack. Tenebre was shot in 1982 and Synth Pop was the order of the day. If you can't stand that, stay away.

What we have here at the end of the day is a pretty stylish 80's thriller with some partial nudity at times, a very gory ending, shot with real skill. It is American-Italian, and some actors are clearly dubbed, but it's well done and works.

I can definitely recommend this movie. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a good stepping off point for Italian horror cinema.

That's all folks, until next time, have a great murder free week!