The Italian style of thriller known as giallo seems to be making a comeback. One of the most well-known films of the genre, Dario Argento’s 1977 horror Suspiria, is getting a remake from Luca Guadagnino later this year. The hardcore fans of giallo are probably already well aware of married directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, who have cornered the market on modern forms of giallo with films such as Amer and The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears. Now they’re back with Let the Corpses Tan, and this new trailer promises one of the most visually arresting experiences of the year.
That’s an amazing trailer, all quick cuts and extreme close-ups making for some breathtaking images. The violence is off the charts but so is the suspenseful atmosphere, and I love how it combines classic giallo sensibilities with that of neo-Westerns. I don’t expect to see much in the way of plotting or character development here, if the Belgian filmmakers’ previous films are anything to go by, but the style is undeniable. Those less familiar with their feature length work may recognize them from the “O is for Orgasm” segment in 2012’s The ABCs of Death.
Here’s the synopsis:
Belgian filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani trade in the crushed velvet and creeping shadows of their giallo-worshiping first two films (Amer, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears) for blistering sun, creaking leather and raining bullets in this glorious homage to 1970s Italian crime films. After stealing a truckload of gold bars, a gang of thieves absconds to the ruins of a remote village perched on the cliffs of the Mediterranean. Home to a reclusive yet hypersexual artist and her motley crew of family and admirers, it seems like a perfect hideout. But when two cops roll up on motorcycles to investigate, the hamlet erupts into a hallucinatory battlefield as both sides engage in an all-day, all-night firefight rife with double-crosses and dripping with blood. Based on a classic pulp novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette and featuring music by Ennio Morricone, Let the Corpses Tan is a deliriously stylish, cinematic fever dream that will slamfire your senses like buckshot to the brain.
Let the Corpses Tan, which features music by the legendary Ennio Morricone, opens in NY and LA on August 31st.
