Iconic horror director Dario Argento is back with his first film in over ten years, a classic giallo full of violence, gore, and sick techno beats. Dark Glasses is a straightforward exploitation crime thriller about Diana (Ilenia Pastorelli), a sex worker who is left blind after a horrific car crash. As she adjusts to her new lifestyle with the help of her friend Rita (Asia Argento), a kid named Chin (Andrea Zhang), and a very good guide dog named Nerea, she must also survive an obsessive stalker on a killing spree. Argento opens his story with an ominous eclipse that forces Diana to wear thick dark glasses, foreshadowing the darkness that is about to unfold.
Argento first made a name for himself in Italy after releasing his debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage in 1971. He then made multiple iconic films, including Deep Red (1975) and Suspiria in 1977. His early work has become synonymous with giallo films, a genre that mixes elements of crime thrillers and horror exploitation, which heavily influenced the slasher genre in American cinema. Over the decades, Argento has worked on many projects, some great, some not-so-great, and is often cited as a major inspiration to many artists and directors.
Argento’s daughter Asia played a big part in getting this movie made. She discovered her father’s script, which was 20 years old, when searching through his work for her autobiography, and she worked with him to finish the story. Though Daft Punk had originally signed on to write the music, the band dropped out when they split in 2020, and Asia stepped in to bring Arnaud Rebotini on board. Rebotini was more than qualified. He has made a career out of writing electronic music, and even won a Cesar for his score of the 2017 film 120 BPM.
Much like Argento’s legendary, chaotic career, Dark Glasses delivers some incredible highs and confusing lows. There are many fantastic, gratuitous shots of gaping wounds and spurting arteries, and Rebotini’s score is just an absolute blast. Watching this movie in a crowd of horror nerds at Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival added an extra layer of fun. We all clapped and cheered at anything campy or gross, and there was a real sense of celebration among us during Saturday’s late-night premiere.
There’s a surprising vein of sincerity that runs throughout Dark Glasses. Though a lot of the acting could be generously described as stilted, there are plenty of moments to keep you titillated, disgusted, and entertained. Special effects artist and frequent Argento collaborator, Sergio Stivaletti stepped in to create the blood-soaked visuals, which helped ease the awkwardness of some of the more dramatic scenes. The 87-minute runtime felt stretched in a few places, and when we laughed, we weren’t always sure whether we were laughing in the right spots.
Still, nothing could take away from the fun of seeing Argento indulge in the genre that made him a legend. Dark Glasses is trashy goodness in a stylish pair of shades, and we’re lucky to have it.