TENEBRE (1982)

The infamous bathroom slasher scene of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ served as a lifelong preoccupation for this Italian Master of B genre Horror that he’s regarded as undisputed ‘Slasher Master’. So far I managed to watch many of Dario Argento’s famous and not so famous giallo films and I would rank ‘Tenebre’ as one of his finest in the league of ‘Suspiria’, ‘Deep Red’, ‘Opera’ and ‘Phenomena’. Its slick and gripping thriller mystery dipped with trademark Argento traits of bloody stabbing scenes, fluorescent use of red with typical Argento soundtrack in the background.

So a best selling murder mystery author visits Rome to promote his new released book and finds himself surrounded by a series of homicide inspired from his novels. After every murder, he gets a letter on his suite room quoted with one of his lines from novel. Though two cops were appointed to investigate the case and ready to help him, the author tries to seek the truth in his own way and the rest is not a thing to tell. Those who’ve seen Argento films, may find brilliant use of mise en scenes here. Besides this is one of those Argento films where suspense of killer is kept intact till last scene and the Master kept you busy shifting your doubts on different characters. Even after revealing the killer in those final moments one may feel ‘wow…now that’s not what I thought going to happen!.’

Highly recommended for all those who love mystery, thrill and murders.