10 Awesome Giallo Films Every Horror Fan Must Watch
Giallo films are a murder mystery horror subgenre characterized by colorful imagery, surreal storylines, themes that intermingle beauty and terror, and a mysterious assailant who often wears black gloves and/or a mask.
The term ‘giallo’ means ‘yellow’ in Italian. The genre gets its name from a series of cheap gory paperback novels that were popular in the early 20th century (similar to the term ‘pulp fiction’).
Most of the best giallo films hail from Italy, where the genre originated in the 1960s. Several prominent Italian directors, including Dario Argento and Mario Bava, are closely associated with the genre.
The popularity of giallo films peaked in the 1970s. They were a predecessor to, and an enormous influence on, the American slashers that first rose to prominence in the 1980s. Giallo could be considered the horror equivalent of spaghetti westerns.
Unfortunately, few giallo are made today. They have largely been replaced by slashers. Edgar Wright’s tepidly received Last Night in Soho (2021) and James Wan’s polarizing shocker Malignant (also 2021) are among the few recent examples. The best giallo films are mostly from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
Those who refuse to watch movies with subtitles will be relieved to know that most of the Italian dialogue in the movies below was dubbed into English. Personally I hate dubbing, but it was common practice in Italy at the time these films were made.
The following list of giallo films contain several Argento and Bava movies, plus some other standouts. Here are ten awesome giallo films that every horror fan must watch.
I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
Director: Chris Sivertson
A suburban town is terrorized by a maniac who is kidnapping young women. Aubrey (Lindsay Lohan), a pianist, vanishes and is presumed dead at the hands of the killer. After she mysteriously reappears, Aubrey claims to be a different person named Dakota Moss. Is the traumatized girl having a mental breakdown, or is something weirder going on?
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Why is a critically panned Lindsay Lohan flick on this list? But bear with me. Despite its absurd storyline, I Know Who Killed Me is worth watching. The lush cinematography, weird plot twists, and offbeat tone make it a solid example of a modern giallo.
The vehemence that greeted its release in 2007 had more to do with Lohan’s negative public image (the media loves a juicy ‘innocent child star falls from grace’ storyline) than any fundamental flaws with the film itself.
The movie is ridiculous, yes, but so are all the other films in this list. Frankly, if you’re searching for logic and realism, you’re looking at the wrong genre.
Stream I Know Who Killed Me on Amazon Prime
Eyeball (1975)
Director: Umberto Lenzi
A killer in a red trench coat is stalking Barcelona and stealing victims’ eyeballs. A group of American tourists frantically search for the perpetrator before the maniac can kill them all.
The main character is Mark (John Richardson), who is traveling with his secretary (and secret mistress) Paulette (Martine Brochard). When people begin to die, Mark worries that his erstwhile wife, who suffers from mental issues, is the murderer.
The movie shows its age by portraying the cheating husband as a hero and his wife as a potential villain. Pretty sure it would be framed differently if they were making this movie today.
This is a delightfully trashy whodunit that does a clever job hiding the true identity of the killer. You probably won’t be able to guess who the baddie is in this one.
The villain’s motivation, which is revealed in the final act, is as cheesy as it gets. But what do you expect from a movie called Eyeball?
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Stage Fright (1987)
Director: Michele Soavi
The cast and crew of a stage production are locked inside a theater rehearsing for an upcoming musical. Unfortunately, they’re not alone. A shadowy figure is determined to make this their last performance.
Stage Fright is enhanced by the killer’s creepy and creative owl costume. I’m not sure how the producers came up with such a bizarre outfit, but it’s offbeat and unsettling. I wouldn’t want to encounter this guy in a dark theater!
Soavi, the director, had previously worked as an assistant for Dario Argento. Like most giallo films, Stage Fright is a visually appealing triumph of style and atmosphere over logic and plot substance.
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Deep Red (1975)
Director: Dario Argento
After witnessing a psychic’s murder, a musician named Marcus (David Hemmings) forms an uneasy alliance with Daria (Gianna Brezzi), a feisty journalist, to track down the killer.
Argento resists the classic “first they hate each other, then they fall in love” trope that had already been done to death in countless films. These two don’t particularly like (let alone love) each other, although they do develop a grudging respect.
Deep Red’s slow pace and heavy emphasis on detective work will test the patience of some viewers, but the action sequences are unforgettable. A notorious scene in which a book author is scalded to death in a bathtub was later copied by Halloween II. There is also an elevator decapitation scene that is truly something to behold.
Deep Red is perhaps the most influential giallo film ever made. Its strange premise and surreal tone make it unique even in an inherently weird genre. Famous filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and John Carpenter, among others, have been influenced by elements of the film.
Tenebrae (1982)
Director: Dario Argento
Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), an American novelist who writes gruesome murder mysteries, is on a book tour in Rome. His life is thrown into chaos when he is targeted by a crazed fan who is killing people using methods inspired by Neal’s books. Neal is in a desperate race against time to uncover the killer’s identity before it’s too late.
Argento uses the same plot devices from his previous giallo movies, but he distinguishes Tenebrae by adding meta elements. Like Argento, Peter Neal is accused of misogyny and criticized for using excessive violence in his works. This appears to be Argento’s attempt to respond to, and satirize, negative critical appraisals of his previous films.
Tenebrae, a word that means “darkness” in Italian, continues Argento’s tradition of having absolutely insane twist endings. As usual, this one subverts audience expectations and turns the perception of the story upside down.
Blood and Black Lace (1964)
Director: Mario Bava
A masked assailant is lurking in the shadows of a fashion house in Rome. One by one, he attacks the women working inside as he searches for a hidden diary that contains dark secrets. Am I the only one who thinks that the killer looks like The Blank from Dick Tracy?
Blood and Black Lace is one of the earliest and best giallo films. Bava’s use of striking primary colors had a profound influence on the future of the genre. The dichotomy between the beautiful cinematography and the gruesome content was a novelty at the time.
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Phenomena (1985)
Director: Dario Argento
A young Jennifer Connelly stars as a psychic girl (also named Jennifer) who lives in a boarding house in Switzerland. The teen has the bizarre ability to telepathically communicate with insects.
She strikes up a friendship with an eccentric entomologist, played by the late great Donald Pleasence. After her roommate and several other people are murdered, Jennifer uses her powers to locate the killer, leading to a fiery battle on a motorboat.
Phenomena is Argento’s most unusual giallo (yes, it’s even weirder than Deep Red). It’s the type of movie that throws everything at us. It’s not often that a pet chimpanzee, a kid who can command insects to do her bidding, and a head-chopping maniac are all featured in the same movie.
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The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
Director: Dario Argento
Sam (Tony Musante), an American writer visiting Italy, witnesses a woman being attacked by a shadowy assailant. He becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the attacker, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Julia (Suzy Kendall), who wants them to leave the country immediately.
As he delves deeper into the circumstances of the attack, Sam becomes the target of the perpetrator, a knife-wielding serial killer who taunts him and the police.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was Dario Argento’s first giallo. It confounds audience expectations at nearly every turn, ending with a wild final twist. It’s hard to write a plot twist that is both shocking and logical, but this movie pulls it off.
Although it has its share of bloodletting, this movie is less gruesome than most. It’s a good choice for viewers who don’t want to be subjected to extreme gore. Strong performances by the cast make this one of the best giallo films.
Stream The Bird with the Crystal Plumage on Shudder
Bay of Blood (1971)
Director: Mario Bava
After a rich countess dies, greedy would-be heirs descend upon her bayside mansion to claim ownership of her valuable land. A bloody series of murders occur as the rival groups attempt to dispatch each other. Who will be left standing at the end?
Bay of Blood, also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve, has a dearth of likeable characters but plenty of gory creative murders. The film had a direct influence on American slasher movies in the 1980s and beyond.
It was one of the first giallo films to use an isolated wooded setting. This backdrop has now been used so often that it has become a genre cliche. The film’s most infamous scene, the brutal double impalement of a couple who are in bed together, was blatantly copied by Friday the 13th Part 2 and other movies.
Related Article: The Friday the 13th movies ranked
Opera (1987)
Director: Dario Argento
An opera starlet is injured in a car accident, paving the way for her gorgeous understudy Betty (Christina Marsillach) to play Lady Macbeth. Despite her inexperience, Betty delivers an acclaimed opening night performance.
Unfortunately, she becomes the target of a mysterious stalker who is lurking inside the opera house. The role of a lifetime turns into a nightmare as Betty is forced to witness the masked psychopath’s sadistic games.
Related: Movie Review: Dario Argento Panico
The killer ties her up and pries her eyes open with needles as he rampages against the cast, crew, and even the opera house’s collection of pet birds. Betty realizes that the maniac is the same man who killed her mother many years earlier.
Opera is another disturbing and creepy entry by Dario Argento. It features a brave performance by Marsillach in the lead role. The film has a relentlessly suspenseful ending featuring a climactic battle of wits between Betty and the killer. Just when it seems like Betty is finally safe, Argento springs another surprise and the battle continues.
