A rare and atmospheric minimalist gem. Tense and intelligently made throughout, I would put this up with japanese horror at its best.
The first time I watched this Italian film, I found myself losing interest and turning it off some twenty minutes in. This second time, I was mesmerised throughout. Providing you are in the right mind-frame for a true ‘slow burner’, this is hugely effective – and, yes, very frightening.
The pacing crawls. The scares are drip-fed, but slowly become more intense, and ultimately, the flowing camera and squalid decomposition provide an immersive atmosphere – the camera lingers on every stained, ripped curtain, every mud-strewn pathway, every mildewed window frame: you can almost taste the decay. The dialogue is scarce, and – much like a bigger budget – proves entirely unnecessary. This is haunting at its most effective.
At first, slow to start, but the tension and interest grows. When Marco is stranded in an old deserted village due to flooding, it is the start of a frightening series of hauntings for him. The desolution of the place appears to haunt him and he sinks into despair. Little dialogue, but very cleverly done to induce fear. Recommended.