Tenebrae

A pretty solid giallo from Dario Argento. What I have to praise here is the very good gore and one over the top scene in the final sequence that absolutely captivated me even after 32 years, but as for the story itself, it unfortunately didn't engage me at all and unless there was a murder going on, I was experiencing anxious boredom. (05/25/2014)

Some of the special effects and the ending are a bit rough, but what must be acknowledged about the film is its absolutely great music, for which the band Goblin is responsible, with whom Dario often collaborated. But to be more precise, the music was recorded by only three members of this band, which is otherwise a four-piece. They are listed on the soundtrack as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli, not Goblin. But it is their music that elevates the film a little more. (04/29/2016)

When he isn’t playing with crayons, making fun of feminists or staging one of his many baroquely spectacular murders, Dario Argento is constructing and deconstructing a detective story, simply and predictably, yet also entertainingly all the way to the bloody climax with a very unusual demonstration of how to paint a room red. 70% (03/18/2013)

A very well crafted thriller. The story follows a classic, well-trodden template where the killer murders according to a book he is a fan of, so, nothing new. There’s also the final “surprising” twist, which at least for me was a bit predictable. What’s interesting, though, is the very stylish murder scenes, Argento uses a garish red-white contrast in each of them. White dresses, white walls (the scene when a severed hand scratches the entire pure white wall with an arcing motion is one of the most unforgettable), a white kitchen, a white sheet on a victim's body, and everywhere the red colour of blood fits like a glove. But I can’t say I was scared. Tenebrae is not a horror film, but rather a crime drama in which the murders are depicted in a slightly harsher way than is usual in this genre, which, of course, it’s to be expected from Argento. (08/31/2003)

The last of the better known Argento’s Giallo that I hadn’t seen, and I can’t say I’m particularly thrilled –  though after my previous experiences, I wasn’t expecting much. I’ll say it again: Argento does have interesting ideas (mainly technically and artistically speaking), but he’s not that good as a director and the performances of the actors under his baton are amazing sometimes; Tenebrae is a typical example of this. At least there’s an above average number of murders, so there is something to look at and the film is not as boring as some of its predecessors... The climax is quite spectacular and improves the overall impression, but three stars is the most I’m willing to award. (07/06/2009)