Why say it myself when Google.com can say it more succinctly:
“Giallo films are a distinctive genre of Italian murder mystery movies known for their stylish visuals, over-the-top violence, and mystery elements. Originating in the 1960s, this genre reached its peak in the 1970s and is characterized by a black-gloved killer, gruesome murders, and often features an amateur investigator piecing together clues. Popular examples include Deep Red, Blood and Black Lace, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.”
Now … what I can add to that is that I’ve seen enough Giallo films to assure readers that I’m no huge advocate of them.
Certainly, I don’t dislike them; and there are a handful which I find compelling yarns with some fabulous actors and actresses elevating the material to the point wherein I, too, can get swept up in the flick’s momentum. They’re rare, yes, but they are out there. Chiefly, I struggle with the majority of them – even the better ones – largely because directors rather obviously prefer aesthetics over plot dynamics. In other words, I think too many storytellers will take great pains to cinematically render a scene or a sequence in exhausting detail, allowing the visuals to go on far longer than was necessary. Occasionally, it works and works wonderfully; but, more often than not for this watcher, it grinds the pace down and turns a bit tedious.
So I, of course, approaching a little something-something like The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) with a wealth of trepidation. Written (in part) and directed by Gene Dolders, the release – from what I’ve read online – has been promoted by many as being an impressive homage to the palate that’s been set by so many Giallo practitioners; and I can assure you that it most definitely embraces the genre from start-to-finish with some surprisingly delicate precision. However, the downside to any paint-by-numbers approach (not intended as an insult, just a turn of phrase) is that creators also bring a good degree of potential bagged with it. What kills a good Giallo thriller (snicker snicker) might also kill a Giallo tribute; and I’m not convinced that there’s enough else left over that’ll make Deeper resonate deeper and longer with novice audiences.
No film will ever be widely successful when it caters to what some might define as a niche audience. I suspect Deeper will suffer the same tragic fate.
“Giallo films are a distinctive genre of Italian murder mystery movies known for their stylish visuals, over-the-top violence, and mystery elements. Originating in the 1960s, this genre reached its peak in the 1970s and is characterized by a black-gloved killer, gruesome murders, and often features an amateur investigator piecing together clues. Popular examples include Deep Red, Blood and Black Lace, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.”
Now … what I can add to that is that I’ve seen enough Giallo films to assure readers that I’m no huge advocate of them.
Certainly, I don’t dislike them; and there are a handful which I find compelling yarns with some fabulous actors and actresses elevating the material to the point wherein I, too, can get swept up in the flick’s momentum. They’re rare, yes, but they are out there. Chiefly, I struggle with the majority of them – even the better ones – largely because directors rather obviously prefer aesthetics over plot dynamics. In other words, I think too many storytellers will take great pains to cinematically render a scene or a sequence in exhausting detail, allowing the visuals to go on far longer than was necessary. Occasionally, it works and works wonderfully; but, more often than not for this watcher, it grinds the pace down and turns a bit tedious.
So I, of course, approaching a little something-something like The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) with a wealth of trepidation. Written (in part) and directed by Gene Dolders, the release – from what I’ve read online – has been promoted by many as being an impressive homage to the palate that’s been set by so many Giallo practitioners; and I can assure you that it most definitely embraces the genre from start-to-finish with some surprisingly delicate precision. However, the downside to any paint-by-numbers approach (not intended as an insult, just a turn of phrase) is that creators also bring a good degree of potential bagged with it. What kills a good Giallo thriller (snicker snicker) might also kill a Giallo tribute; and I’m not convinced that there’s enough else left over that’ll make Deeper resonate deeper and longer with novice audiences.
No film will ever be widely successful when it caters to what some might define as a niche audience. I suspect Deeper will suffer the same tragic fate.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Follows a narcissistic TV host who becomes trapped in his own nightmare of televised cruelty and revenge. Content has consequences.”
Debatably, The Blade Cuts Deeper is a story all of us have seen in one way or shape before. It’s the kinda/sorta ‘fall from grace’ that a creative and self-absorbed intellectual who thinks he’s better than everyone else around him ultimately endures. A great many installments of classic genre television programming from Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone), Gene Levitt (Fantasy Island), Alfred Hitchcock (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), or Roald Dahl (Tales Of The Unexpected) built huge, huge television audiences on the shoulders of such riveting storytelling; and even contemporary attempts – like Black Mirror or Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams – are solid derivatives. In universes where fate (or karma) lend a hand, tales like this will always – always – find watchers; and that probably says more about us culturally than it does the writers.
In short: we love to see someone suffer a good and deserving comeuppance.
To be fair, Deeper doesn’t fit perfectly into the typical mold. John Abbott (played by John Tueart) is a contemporary content creator who was forced to pursue an independent path to greatness when Hollywood suits were unconvinced that his pet project – ‘Lights, Camera, KILL,’ serialized adaptations of true-life crimes – could be the next big thing. As a result, the auteur allows success to go straight to his head (as can happen) when audiences willingly line-up for one bloody, tragedy-filled episode after another. What the man doesn’t anticipate, however, is that one of his dramatizations might inspire real world consequences when a survivor (Peter Durr) finds his psyche eventually cracked by having to relive the death of his beloved wife over and over and over again on video.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Follows a narcissistic TV host who becomes trapped in his own nightmare of televised cruelty and revenge. Content has consequences.”
Debatably, The Blade Cuts Deeper is a story all of us have seen in one way or shape before. It’s the kinda/sorta ‘fall from grace’ that a creative and self-absorbed intellectual who thinks he’s better than everyone else around him ultimately endures. A great many installments of classic genre television programming from Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone), Gene Levitt (Fantasy Island), Alfred Hitchcock (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), or Roald Dahl (Tales Of The Unexpected) built huge, huge television audiences on the shoulders of such riveting storytelling; and even contemporary attempts – like Black Mirror or Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams – are solid derivatives. In universes where fate (or karma) lend a hand, tales like this will always – always – find watchers; and that probably says more about us culturally than it does the writers.
In short: we love to see someone suffer a good and deserving comeuppance.
To be fair, Deeper doesn’t fit perfectly into the typical mold. John Abbott (played by John Tueart) is a contemporary content creator who was forced to pursue an independent path to greatness when Hollywood suits were unconvinced that his pet project – ‘Lights, Camera, KILL,’ serialized adaptations of true-life crimes – could be the next big thing. As a result, the auteur allows success to go straight to his head (as can happen) when audiences willingly line-up for one bloody, tragedy-filled episode after another. What the man doesn’t anticipate, however, is that one of his dramatizations might inspire real world consequences when a survivor (Peter Durr) finds his psyche eventually cracked by having to relive the death of his beloved wife over and over and over again on video.
That truly is all the story to Deeper, and – to his credit – writer/director Dolders makes it work reasonably well throughout what looks to be his major motion picture debut. Capturing a great deal of the action through the perspective of ‘The Maniac,’ the audience follows along as a heartbeat – with its rate constantly mimicking the onscreen mania (or lack thereof, in some parts – plays like a drum in their ears. We see firsthand what Abbott’s recounting of the terror he experienced firsthand has led him to, from confusing the actress with his lost sweetheart and wanting to elicit any measure on retribution on those who brought his greatest misfortune to life, seemingly all for clicks and giggles. While I would’ve appreciated just a wee bit of exposition – even a minor confession or something with a bit of emotional heartache might’ve been a welcome diversion from such cinematic technique – The Maniac utters not a single word. His is a world of doing, not saying, and he stays true even up to his closing moments.
If anything, Deeper hints at the usual indictments of a society that’s turned its back on compassion in pursuit of commerce. Abbott is cast as an opportunist – one who’ll use and abuse every single person around him, from the accomplished editors down to a lowly security guard – and winds up being about as stereotypical a villain as ever to grace the frame. (Again, that’s not a complete but an honest observation. Giallos aren’t exactly revered for being original in any way other than elegant visuals.) Nothing more is learned of him – his background is as sketchy as is his adversary, mostly because that’s how these kinds of chillers are built – but viewers get just enough to know he’s functionally no different than either ‘The Widowmaker’ (the assassin who makes The Maniac) or the killer pursuing cast and crew.
But because Abbott and The Maniac do manage to eventually swap places – the learner becomes the master in more ways than one here – some might applaud Dolders’ ability to stick the landing on his first big try. That fact alone is cause for modest celebration as I’ve personally sat through a great many big budget and independent entrances that have muddied the waters so poorly along the way that finales – even good ones – couldn’t quite salvage the affair. The worst that could (and should) be said is that perhaps sticking so fervently to recapturing the magic of what’s come before might’ve robbed Deeper of the ability to stand on its own two legs. Here’s hoping that the storyteller’s next outing might bring something different to the screen as there’s talent enough in this to warrant more projects behind the lens.
If anything, Deeper hints at the usual indictments of a society that’s turned its back on compassion in pursuit of commerce. Abbott is cast as an opportunist – one who’ll use and abuse every single person around him, from the accomplished editors down to a lowly security guard – and winds up being about as stereotypical a villain as ever to grace the frame. (Again, that’s not a complete but an honest observation. Giallos aren’t exactly revered for being original in any way other than elegant visuals.) Nothing more is learned of him – his background is as sketchy as is his adversary, mostly because that’s how these kinds of chillers are built – but viewers get just enough to know he’s functionally no different than either ‘The Widowmaker’ (the assassin who makes The Maniac) or the killer pursuing cast and crew.
But because Abbott and The Maniac do manage to eventually swap places – the learner becomes the master in more ways than one here – some might applaud Dolders’ ability to stick the landing on his first big try. That fact alone is cause for modest celebration as I’ve personally sat through a great many big budget and independent entrances that have muddied the waters so poorly along the way that finales – even good ones – couldn’t quite salvage the affair. The worst that could (and should) be said is that perhaps sticking so fervently to recapturing the magic of what’s come before might’ve robbed Deeper of the ability to stand on its own two legs. Here’s hoping that the storyteller’s next outing might bring something different to the screen as there’s talent enough in this to warrant more projects behind the lens.
The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) was produced by Feisty Film, Barber Green Digital CIC, and Gatton Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Leomark Studios and Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that the provided sights-and-sounds are exceptional: there are – as mentioned – aesthetics common to Giallo films – things like quick and interspersed edits along with curious sound effects and creative usage of music – that some might find a bit jarring. (FYI: you’re supposed to.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas … not a one. A big miss … but this happens quite a bit with smaller, indie style releases, so I’ve grown used to it. Sigh.
Recommended. Giallo fans will likely love this one, as will a great number of film academics and students, but casual viewers might lose interest over the delayed gratification.
The risk of structuring an entire movie as little more than an homage to a particular thematic style – i.e. Giallo – is that storytellers might lose an audience that would otherwise be interested in the plot, circumstances, characters, and settings. As good as The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) is as a tribute, the end result brings along a chief complaint about genre filmmaking: it’s all style and little story. It’s all structure and little substance. And because it adheres arguably too specifically to the Giallo mold, its big finish – like a great many entries of that categorization – is entirely predictable. While some might not consider that a bad thing by itself, Deeper cut a path that few will tolerate much less appreciate over the long term. Good? Yes! Great? Well … we’ve seen it all before …
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Recommended. Giallo fans will likely love this one, as will a great number of film academics and students, but casual viewers might lose interest over the delayed gratification.
The risk of structuring an entire movie as little more than an homage to a particular thematic style – i.e. Giallo – is that storytellers might lose an audience that would otherwise be interested in the plot, circumstances, characters, and settings. As good as The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) is as a tribute, the end result brings along a chief complaint about genre filmmaking: it’s all style and little story. It’s all structure and little substance. And because it adheres arguably too specifically to the Giallo mold, its big finish – like a great many entries of that categorization – is entirely predictable. While some might not consider that a bad thing by itself, Deeper cut a path that few will tolerate much less appreciate over the long term. Good? Yes! Great? Well … we’ve seen it all before …
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Blade Cuts Deeper (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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