Tenebrae

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“An American novelist visiting Rome to promote his latest book is stalked and harassed by an obsessed fan who is committing a string of murders that appear to be tributes to his work.”

Let’s dip back into giallo! I can’t help but love this Italian horror sub-genre. Argento brings us something a little closer to home as he explores the realm of the obsessed fan. Other critics also say that this movie is about a lot of duality. The word Tenebrae actually translates to “Darkness” or “Shadows.” Since Argento is known to play with many cinematic things such as light and color, this duality theory is present the whole while.

If you are looking for something that mixes Argento’s love of theatrics and art with a bit of a Hitchcock style “who-done-it,” then this movie is for you. There are several misdirects and hints along the way to help keep you guessing as the blood flows in overelaborate ways (including the trademark wall splatter.)

The movie also deals a lot with themes of repressed trauma and even a bit of fetishism. Movies like this are proof that horror is an exploration of our minds, not just about the scares.

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT

I’d had a slight suspicion about the killer from the beginning but the double twist at the end actually threw me a bit. So, it was him but not him? Hmmm…