A natural continuation from the krimi genre (thank Germany, and Edgar Wallace), the giallo genre was created and popularised through the efforts of directors like Mario Bava, and Dario Argento, leading to countless others taking the bat. Mario's own son Lamberto would go on to have his own chance making a few, having learnt much on the set of his dad's movies...
Nikola is a police officer, following his wife for a nice surprise when he discovers her having an affair. He angrily confronts her and the two have a violent fight, leading to Nikola storming out and seeking refuge at a friend's house. Shaken at his behaviour, he feels he could've killed her. Little does he know someone did just that after he left, and now he is the number one suspect. But did he commit the murder, or is there more than meets the eye?...
Midnight Killer, or You'll Die at Midnight (both titles make sense, and both are cool) is a decent little movie. Lamberto Bava's giallos came late during the genre's life, and as such some are pretty by-the-numbers, while others attempt more unique ideas. Today's film is the former, content to simply tell a fun story, with inspiration from films past, and the director's own imagination.
The plot here is refreshingly simple. A man is suspected of killing his wife, and a psychologist suspects a notorious killer thought dead has survived and is taking his revenge. It's slightly reminiscent of a few giallos, in a nice way, rather than blatantly copying. I won't say which though, because that will probably spoil the big twists!
The film suffers for lack of a main character. Nikola appears to be the lead at first, but disappears for long stretches. After a while I figured Anna was the true protagonist, but her screentime isn't consistent either. And by the end the focus is on someone else entirely.
By the last half hour everything is all sorted. It took its sweet ass time getting there, and maybe it was the result of a couple different scripts coming together, but at least it's all in place, and feels consistent from here onwards.
Anna is nice, and a dogged investigator, while the detective is a bit of a stuffed shirt and probably could've been less of a skeptic, though he did turn out to be right! His daughter Carol is is likeable, and has enough charm to make for a good final girl. Her friends are decent, and while they don't make it to the end, none act stupidly.
The reveal of the killer is a good one. It comes a bit out of nowhere at first, but when you think about it it does make sense, and when I look back, the movie did have some clues and foreshadowing. Here's the weird thing though-We clearly see the killer's face during the whole movie! We can see it's not any of the main characters, but some other guy. How does the movie explain? Well, I will say this. While the end reveal is a bit of a cheat, the filmmakers do at least do a good job of making the killer's face look unnatural and rubbery.
The death scenes are limited in number, and not the goriest, but they work well! One feels like an updated Italian take of Psycho's shower scene, and while it is more violent, it chooses to focus mainly on the impact though the curtains, making for a neat visual as it gets stained in blood. A later death involves what I thought at first to be a set of electric beaters, but is actually a blender, making for a suggestively gnarly demise. There's also a stabbing that is hilariously undersold (and who knows, maybe that's truth in fiction!).
The acting is all good. It's nice seeing an older, mature woman in a leading role, especially in such a movie. Midnight Killer does have some sexy young signoras though, namely the always lovely Lara Wendel. It's always a treat when you're watching an Italian horror and her name pops up. The dubbing can get cheesy at times, but that's half the charm.
The settings in Midnight Killer are very effective! The majority of the action is set in typical Italian homes and these work well, in a relatable homegrown sort of way. But where the movie really excels is in the last act, with the empty hotel. It's a great location, looking mundane yet distinct, and the large open size gives it an uneasy feeling. The best moment for me was when Carol is wandering on her own through the foggy streets. It's not night yet, the lampposts are lit, and she's out of the confined space, yet there's still an oppressive atmosphere, and she doesn't feel safe. Congratulations to Lamberto Bava for making what some call a TV movie look this good!
And then here's the music. Claudio Simonetti does a neat job with the score, combining classical compositions with modern day synth tracks. They go surprisingly well together, and are equally groovy, and set the mood well. The music during the tense sequences also goes a long way to making those scenes work.
Midnight Killer isn't the most amazing giallo in the world, but it's an all-round good time. It's a more basic example of the genre, and therefore a great introduction, while also not being dumbed down in any way...
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