Tenebrae (1982)

Tenebrae (released in English as Shadow) is a sleek, suspenseful giallo thriller about an American novelist whose life is upended when someone in Rome begins staging murders inspired by — and sometimes lifted directly from — his latest bestselling book. As the body count rises and the police trail baffling clues, the writer is stalked by anonymous letters and growing suspicion; every interview, acquaintance and on‑air personality becomes a potential suspect until the truth — stranger than anyone expects — is dragged into the light. What you’ll experience watching Tenebrae: - A tightly plotted mystery that mixes a police investigation with paranoid, personal danger — the story steadily builds tension and red herrings until a twisty climax. - Dario Argento’s signature visual flair: bold, stylized cinematography and striking compositions that make ordinary spaces feel menacing. - Elaborate, suspense‑driven murder set pieces and occasional graphic shocks — the film balances intellectual puzzle‑solving with visceral thrills. - A pulsing, atmospheric soundscape and a mood of increasing unease as the writer becomes more entangled in the crimes ostensibly inspired by his own fiction. - Themes of media, obsession and moral judgment (the killer’s puritanical manifesto targets “perverts”), so expect psychological discomfort as well as physical danger. Overall, Tenebrae delivers a polished, stylish blend of mystery and horror: a cerebral whodunit that still aims to unsettle and startle the viewer.

Actors: Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma, John Saxon

Director: Dario Argento

Runtime: 101 min

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

83 /100 7.0 /10 7.7 /10