Tag Archives: crime

Deep Red (1975) – A Four-Star Giallo Masterpiece

06 Thursday Mar 2025

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Dario Argento’s Deep Red (Profondo Rosso, 1975) is often considered the ultimate giallo experience, a film that masterfully blends slasher-style horror with psychological intrigue. Following The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) and The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971), Deep Red solidified Argento’s status as the undisputed maestro of the genre, elevating giallo to new artistic and cinematic heights.

A Symphony of Violence and Mystery

The film follows Marcus Daly (David Hemmings), an English pianist in Rome who becomes entangled in a gruesome murder investigation after witnessing the brutal slaying of a psychic. Teaming up with determined journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), Marcus embarks on a dangerous search for the killer. As he delves deeper into the mystery, his memories of the crime scene prove to be more unreliable than he initially believed, leading to a series of increasingly shocking and violent revelations.

Argento infuses Deep Red with his signature stylistic flourishes: extreme close-ups, vibrant colour palettes, and elaborate set pieces. The film’s cinematography by Luigi Kuveiller is nothing short of breathtaking, amplifying the surreal, nightmarish quality of the narrative. The murders, choreographed with almost balletic precision, are among the most iconic in giallo history.

Thematic Depth: Memory, Vision, and Perception

At its core, Deep Red is a meditation on the fallibility of memory and perception. The film repeatedly plays with the idea that what we see is not always what we remember, a theme that lends itself to one of Argento’s most brilliantly constructed plot twists. The film also explores notions of sex, crime, trauma, and psychological deterioration, creating an atmosphere of paranoia and unease.

Argento uses recurring motifs of eyes and vision to reinforce these themes—whether through mirrors, paintings, or the protagonist’s own subjective experience. The result is a film that challenges the audience to question reality itself, engaging them in the mystery in a uniquely interactive way.

Goblin’s Unforgettable Soundtrack

No discussion of Deep Red would be complete without mentioning its legendary soundtrack. Composed by Goblin, the progressive rock score is a pulsating, hypnotic force that drives the film’s tension to near-unbearable levels. Tracks like “Profondo Rosso” and “Death Dies” have become as iconic as the film itself, perfectly complementing its eerie and unpredictable mood. The collaboration between Argento and Goblin, which would continue in Suspiria (1977), set a new standard for horror film soundtracks.

A Giallo Benchmark

Deep Red is not just one of Argento’s finest films; it is one of the greatest giallo films ever made. Its labyrinthine plot, mesmerising cinematography, and shocking violence make it an essential viewing experience for horror and thriller fans alike. While some may prefer the supernatural stylings of Suspiria, Deep Red remains Argento’s most refined and intricate mystery, a film that rewards repeat viewings with its complex narrative and visual artistry.

The Prognosis:

With Deep Red, Argento crafted a masterpiece of horror and intrigue, blending psychological complexity with unrelenting terror. Even decades later, it stands as an exhilarating and chilling cinematic experience, a film that continues to haunt and fascinate audiences worldwide.

  • Saul Muerte

Inside Man (2025): A Stylish but Uneven Dive into the Ruthless World of Roy DeMeo

04 Tuesday Mar 2025

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Crime dramas based on true events often walk a fine line between gripping realism and cinematic exaggeration. Inside Man, directed by Danny A. Abeckaser, leans into this challenge with a gritty portrayal of undercover work in 1980s New York. Emile Hirsch leads the film as a troubled detective whose attempt at redemption drags him deep into the underbelly of the mob, where survival means losing himself in the very world he’s trying to dismantle.

Hirsch, known for his intense performances in Into the Wild and Lone Survivor, delivers a solid turn as a cop struggling with his identity while infiltrating the DeMeo crew—one of the most feared factions of the era. His internal conflict is the film’s strongest element, though at times, the script doesn’t allow for deeper psychological exploration. Lucy Hale adds some emotional weight to the story, though her role feels underdeveloped, while Robert Davi and Jack Cannavale bring a welcome menace to their mobster personas.

Abeckaser, who has experience with crime dramas (Mob Town), crafts an authentic 1980s New York atmosphere, full of dimly lit bars, smoky back rooms, and bursts of brutal violence. However, while the film captures the aesthetic well, it sometimes struggles with pacing, feeling more like a series of key moments rather than a fully cohesive narrative. The tension builds effectively, but some scenes drag, making the film feel longer than its runtime.

The Prognosis:

For crime thriller enthusiasts, Inside Man offers a serviceable look at the high-risk world of undercover police work. It doesn’t break new ground, but the strong performances and stylish execution make it worth a watch, especially for fans of mob dramas.

Inside Man will be available on DVD & Digital, including Apple TV, Prime Video, and Google Play from March 5, 2025, in Australia & New Zealand.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: The Little Things (2021)

16 Tuesday Feb 2021

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On paper, The Little Things boasts some pretty big elements.

First up the cast.

Denzel Washington, who always brings an essence of suave and cool to his roles without showing any effort at all. Here is provided the perfect canvas to etch out his craft playing deputy sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon lured back into the sin city of Los Angeles with a potential serial killer on the loose that could potentially spark the same kind of fear that was drawn by The Night Stalker.

Accompanying him is hot shot detective Jimmy Baxter (equally hotter than hot right now, Rami Malek) who strives to put an end to the suffering inflicted by this seditious killer at all costs. 

And Jared Leto as the chief suspect in the two detectives investigations, Albert Sparma, an eccentric recluse, who is just a little too out of sync with the world that he instantly draws your attention. Leto’s performance is once again a stand out, proving that he can easily shift into the quirky state of mind and pull you in. So much so that he rightfully earned his Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Supporting Actor.

Secondly, The style and setting.

LA will always project a certain amount of style onto the screen, with its vast spreading landscape and the golden charade promised at the lands west, but is and always will be shrouded by its corruptibility and dark past.
The city and its landscape slips easily into the neo-noir crime world painted by director John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Highwaymen). In many ways it is the perfect place to mould the dark etchings of life and shed light on the most darkened souls.

In doing so, Hancock is constantly posing the question of what drives a person to reach their end? Are we all blinded by our own pursuits to reach our goal that we fail to see the bigger picture? And even when we believe that we have attained our needs and salvated our lust for success and exposed our inner hedonistic tendencies and the narcissist that we believe lies dormant at our core, we simply get blinded once more. The circle continues as we spiral into the murky terrain.

All of these elements are to be applauded including some stunning shots by cinematographer John Schwartzman, but there’s something that doesn’t quite sit right that lurks beneath the surface of this incredibly lush and stylised story.

The Prognosis:

Yes we are lured in by the intelligence of Washington’s inquisitive mind combined with the fiery, passionate temperament of Malik, but ultimately the dots don’t join together and the plot doesn’t hold enough substance to grip you into its fold.
Instead we’re cast around carelessly from one lead to another and expected to forgive these missteps towards an admittedly bold and decisive ending. But by the time we’re presented with that compelling turn off the narrative highway, we’re too lost in the searing heat of confusion, trying to make sense of it all.

  • Saul Muerte