Movies
3 Modern Horror Films With Classic Giallo Influences
While there are many parallels between giallo and American slasher films, the latter often abandons that signature blend of horror and mystery so commonplace in giallo, instead opting for a high body count and choreographed kills. While giallo remains an influence for modern filmmakers like Luca Guadagnino and James Wan, modern parallels in non-slasher horror films and giallo provide intriguing information on how giallo shapes the stories we tell in horror.
Italian giallo is a subgenre of horror as visually slicing as it is brutally bloody. But at the heart of giallo films is mystery. Bodies are mangled, sliced to bits, or to the police’s chagrin, disappear into thin air with nothing but missing posters and heartbroken hanger-ons. But as the body count grows, a hand will once again wield the knife. Eyes go wide. A shallow gasp before a blade slashes across the victim’s throat. Music swelling as candy apple red blood pools on the floor. Our killer, masked or shadow obscured, will circle our heroine, the music will crescendo, only for one last final battle before the detective close on the killer’s tail kicks down the door.
How Do Modern Horror Films Incorporate Giallo?
While there are many parallels between giallo and American slasher films, the latter often abandons that signature blend of horror and mystery so commonplace in giallo, instead opting for a high body count and choreographed kills. While giallo remains an influence for modern filmmakers like Luca Guadagnino and James Wan, modern parallels in non-slasher horror films and giallo provide intriguing information on how giallo shapes the stories we tell in horror.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Edgar Wright’s 2021 film Last Night in SoHo follows smalltown dreamer Eloise Turner (Tomasin Mackenzie), a first year fashion student at a London fashion school, as she finds herself spiraling into a sparkling, neon nightmare as she inhabits the body of 1960s lounge singer Sandie (Anya Taylor Joy) as she desperately seeks fame. Visually, Last Night in SoHo’s giallo influences are clear. Glowing neon lights flood Eloise’s vision, eyes growing wide and even more unhinged as her grasp of reality becomes unsteady.
But the film draws parallels with the stories we’ve seen time and time again in giallo films. Notably, the trope of the giallo heroine being a fish out of water, often in a strange, foreign land. She’ll find herself at the heart of a mystery hidden beneath the façade of her own precious dream. Be it Susie Banon’s arrival at the famed dance academy at the center of Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) or Liza Merril’s lucky inheritance of a cursed inn in Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond (1981), giallo films frequently throw our heroines into the unknown, luring them with the promise of what they’ve always wanted. Eloise’s abandonment of her small-town life to achieve her fashion goals in London aligns with the tradition of giallo films while incorporating supernatural and psychological elements to modernize the film.
Blending Detective and Heroine Roles
As Eloise becomes more enamored with this sexual, violent 1960s, she becomes attached to her avatar Sandie, developing an intense need to discover what happened to her. Eloise inhabits the role of your classic giallo detective and heroine in one world, while losing her grasp of reality in the other. Haunted by Sandie in the modern world, Eloise has no option but to find answers, even if that means putting herself in harm’s way. Edgar Wright creates a modern horror film that draws inspiration from giallo without trying to imitate it.
Giallo is a genre conveyed in pieces. The glaring shine of a knife. A gasp from a parted, lipstick-painted mouth. Manicured fingernails scratching at the floor as the knife pierces skin. Again. And again. The killer’s crime hidden from the viewer by the absence of all the details, the victim reduced to little more than a body for a disillusioned detective to ponder over. Giallo is a genre whose violence is incompressible in its entirety.
Under the Skin (2013)
Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin (2013) shows an alien invader whose malevolent appetite is concealed beneath the guise of a beautiful woman (Scarlett Johansson) stalking the Irish countryside for rides and the men who provide them to her. The alien invader draws the attention of the male eye, entices them to slow to a stop and let her into the car. When small talk proves tedious, she seduces them, drawing them in with sex. She undresses, a naked woman upon inspection. Her victim’s gaze falls upon the curve of a hip. An uncovered breast. She draws them in to consume their very essence.
Unlike a classic giallo where the lack of the whole obscures our killer, Under the Skin’s use of imagery in pieces is one grounded in the familiar. A naked body, no matter how beautiful, is something that we as human beings recognize. But the horrifying thing about Johansson’s portrayal is that even if we were to see her in her entirety, the thing that is deadly and violent about her is beneath the skin. Under the Skin may not be a giallo movie, but it engages with the visual styles so popular in the subgenre, creating a film that is hypnotic and erotic.
The Beauty of Brutality in Giallo and Modern Horror
Intense and violent murders are frequently featured in giallo films, but giallo also juxtaposes brutality with beauty. Characters meet their ends in settings with striking, original architecture, neon lit backdrops, and exquisite, detailed set dressing only deserving of a gorgeously shot murder. But modern horror films tend to be more fixated on the uniqueness of the kill. Be it a bread slicer or paper shredder, the settings in many modern slashers tend to just be dressing to set up the kill. However, Peter Strickland’s In Fabric manages to do both, juxtaposing violence with beautiful imagery as a beautiful dress causes her life to spin into a dizzying spiral.
In Fabric (2018)
Sheila (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is a recently divorced mother of artistic hanger-on son Vince (Jaygann Ayeh). Caught up in the humdrum of her job as a bank teller and her uneventful social life, Sheila finds herself drawn in by a bizarre television advert marketing a new boutique. Enraged at the news that her ex-husband is dating, Sheila sets out to find her very own revenge dress, or more accurately, find something she can wear out on a date. And as a strange shop merchant walks Sheila through the boutique’s inventory, she comes upon a dazzling red dress.
Even as she finds her fingers flitting over the dress’s skirt, her eye adoring the red fabric demarcated by nothing more than a single black slash at the hip, she wonders aloud if it’s too provocative yet allows herself to be led to a dressing room. Even though Sheila admits she could never fit into a size 36, the dress fits. It’s almost like it was made for her, predestined perhaps.
While the date leads nowhere except disappointment, Sheila dreams visions of the dress’ twirling skirt, stirred by a ghostly wind. The garment constricts against her body as she gasps in, the red striking against the intricately designed interior of the restroom. When she removes the dress, it harms her too, leaving Sheila with a painful rash then later turning her washing machine into a bucking, feral interloper on Sheila’s domestic solitude.
Giallo’s Mystery and Visual Extravagance
In classic giallo fashion, the story behind the dress and its many victims threads through the film. Just when we come to know Sheila, she dies at the dress’ hands. She’s just another death for the dress’ next investigator and victim to stumble upon. In Fabric is a neo-giallo meets existential dilemma, as the dress mystifies and transforms its wearers to the point of madness and inevitable death.
Why Giallo Continues to Inspire Modern Horror
Giallo is a genre of strange machinations and dangerous mysteries. A dream becomes entangled in a deadly plot, a question the only thing between a heroine’s redemption and her unfortunate death. Giallo is a tense & thrilling genre of horror, neon-soaked extravagance setting the scene for extraordinary violence. It’s no wonder that modern filmmakers find themselves drawn to take influences from giallo. After all, in an era where everyone’s eyes are on the next big thing, you need to find a way to catch your audience’s attention. Add a dash of mystery to your horror, and make it big, beautiful, and brutal all around, and you’re set.
Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Habit (1995)
An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.
Sew Torn (2024)
A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest.
You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.
The Retreat (2021)
A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.
You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.
The Creep Tapes (Season 2)
Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House).
You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.
Krampus (2015)
A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage.
You can watch Krampus on November 15th.
Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.
Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.
The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.
I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below!
The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month
28 Years Later (2025)
A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.
Maa (2025)
To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.
Until Dawn (2025)
A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.
Ziam (2025)
A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though.
While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…
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