January is a month often dedicated to resolutions, transitions, and in some cases a renewed hope for what is to come. 2025 has made that extra difficult, but there is one thing that happens every January that still gets us giddier than a vampire in a blood bank, it’s Giallo January. Initially started by the glorious LA-based Cinematic Void, Giallo January has become something of an informal holiday for fans of the niche Italian sub-genre. Our own Sean O’Connor did a fabulous write-up on Mario Bava’s Giallo contributions, and for this entry, we thought to do something a little different; celebrate the influence that this sub-genre has had over various countries and decades. In addition, we’ll be sharing some films that are representative of that influence for your viewing pleasure. So put on those black gloves, sharpen that straight-edge razor, and get ready for the melodramatic!

Influential Origins

Like many of the most successful Italian genre films, the Giallo has its origins in another country, Germany. While the Giallo stories themselves are based on the Il Giallo Mondadori series of Italian crime novels, they also share inspiration with the German Krimi films which are based on the stories of British novelist Edgar Wallace. Wallace’s stories were adapted in both the UK and Germany, with the latter sharing some production duties with the Italians thus leading to the branching off of the Giallo sub-genre. The irony here is that Giallo’s influence is in and of itself, derived from another influence altogether which lends itself to the evolving nature of film particularly as it crosses regional boundaries.

Slashing It Out

Many attribute the origins of the Slasher film to the 1960 British film, “Peeping Tom,” as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal adaptation of “Psycho,” also released in 1960. Others say it has more North American roots with Bob Clark’s “Black Christmas” from 1974, released in the same year as, Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” None of these answers is wrong so much as they aren’t complete, because the origins of the Slasher film are also deeply rooted in Giallo film tropes and aesthetics. Giallo films often have the following hallmarks:

🔪 Masked killer whose identity isn’t revealed until the end

🔪 Melodramatic tension that drives motives such as infidelity, trauma, etc.

🔪 Violent death scenes

🔪 Procedural elements either from a legal authority and/or everyday folks

Notice how many of these aspects align with what we know about the Slasher genre. While not all of these elements are present in every film, they are the most common ones that define the genre. The evolution from Giallo to Slasher largely lies in the shifting motivation of the antagonist, but that transition wouldn’t occur immediately so much as over time. Early slasher films like “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “The Burning”(1981) both deal with killers seeking retribution for wrongdoings, and “Friday the 13th” has even been accused of ripping off Mario Bava’s “Bay of Blood” (1971) for both the first and second entry in the franchise. But some of the Slasher genre's best films, like 1978’s “Halloween”departs from the idea of a killer motivation offering something far darker and abstract, the personification of evil. This is the distinction between the Slasher and Giallo sub-genres, one favors a motive whereas the other focuses more on the supernatural or unexplained. However, as the Slasher film began to appeal more to this fantastical iteration, this paved the way for the emergence of the “Thriller” genre to carry the torch of Giallo's influence forward.

Thrill Me, Giallo!

The Suspense/Thriller genre wasn’t born from the Giallo, but rather the reverse. The adjacency of crime-based dramas to more suspenseful and thrilling films is something made popular well before the Giallo sub-genre from the likes of filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock to John Huston’s Noir films from the 40s. It’s easy to get caught up in terms and definitions here, but the Suspense/Thriller genre is so broad that it can include anything from the Universal Monsters to Jason Bourne. The most notable influence that Giallo films have had on this genre shows up in the 70s and 80s with the emergence of Neo-Noir. This new, more modernized take on the traditional murder mystery and investigative archetypes was born out of a rising tide of filmmakers influenced by the noir films of the 40s and 50s. However, the influence of Giallo on Neo-Noir can’t be understated.

From Brian DePalma to Martin Scorcese, many of today’s most lauded filmmakers have dipped their toes into the thriller genre. DePalma is the easiest mark for comparison between the modern Neo-Noir / Thriller and the Giallo sub-genre and films such as “Dressed To Kill” and “Blow Up”, both released in 1980 and then later “Body Double” (1984). These films are almost indistinguishable from Italian Giallo films, save for the language used in the film. However, they appeal to more North American sensibilities by focusing less on excessive violence and more on the procedural side of things. They retain the same sensuality as the Italian films, albeit somewhat watered down for American audiences. This gave way to a branching of the thriller genre that while still indebted to the Giallo turns its focus more towards the erotic and psychological aspects of those films. Thus we see a swath of films like “Jade”(1995), “Fatal Attraction” (1987), and of course, “Basic Instinct”(1992) that would come to occupy the Erotic Thriller sub-genre. Much like Giallo films, Erotic Thrillers flips gender roles and expectations while also adhering to the same tropes as an unidentified killer, procedural circumstances to find them, and the use of signature weapons to mark the killer’s work.

Wright There All Along…

Of all the modern gener filmmakers, Edgar Wright is probably the most heavily influenced by Giallo, or at least we speculate, but hear us out. On the surface, “Hot Fuzz” (2007) seems firmly planted in the Action Thriller sub-genre, but if one is to take a closer look they shall find all the traces of Italian inspiration. Between the masked killer running amok in Sandford, and their errie motives for their treachery it all screams Giallo. The procedural elements are there in the form of frequent collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who represent two sides of the policing spectrum; the lazy and the militaristic. Pegg’s Nicholas Angel is more like Stallone’s Marion Cobretti, but that’s where Frost’s bumbling action-fiend Danny Butterman comes in. Offering as much comic relief as influential context, the combined pair represent an odd-coupling that can be seen in Giallo films such as “Profondo Rosso” (1975) with the Jazz Pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) paired with the zealous reporter Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi). This juxtaposition isn’t just common in Giallo, it’s almost a constant.

“Hot Fuzz” isn’t the only Edgar Wright film that feels ripped from the technicolor landscape of the Giallo genre, as “Last Night In Soho” (2021) is figuratively oozing in the brightly colored aesthetic of the Giallo genre. From the fluorescent lights tinged with neon to the dream-like look that drapes a haze over the streets of London, and Wright himself has admitted his intentions to pay homage to the genre. Some could argue that our “Hot Fuzz” connection is a bit far-fetched, but there is no denying that “Last Night In Soho” is the most modern version of a studio-produced Giallo we have gotten in decades. Still, Wright isn’t the only one who has flexed their Giallo muscle since the turn of the century…

Back In Black (Gloves)

It’s only fitting that we end where we began, which means heading back to Europe. Like a bloody boomerang, the Giallo came back to the continent after the turn of the century to inspire some more modern takes on the well-worn formula. What has been coined as Neo-Giallo is exactly as it sounds, an evolution on the form that incorporates modern sensibilities while maintaining the story themes and structure of Giallo films. “Francesca” (2015) from Italy both aesthetically and thematically capture the washed out look of the genre, while also using the narrative to tell a sinister tale of revenge with a twist. Over in Uraguay, Maximilliano Contenti’s apty titled “The Last Matinee / Al Morir La Matinée” (2020) not only pays homage to the masked killer elements, vivid colors, and violent deaths, but it also captures the overlapping fascination between art and horror that is so frequent in Giallo.

In Germany, “Masks”(2011) feels cut from the same cloth as Dario Argento’s “Suspiria”(which we are here to say definitively is not a Giallo) in terms of setting, but brings the murderous tendencies and artful death scenes to the forefront of the film to capture the true spirit of both the modern Thriller and the legacy of Giallo. Like many Giallo films, “Masks” struggles with tying up some loose ends and a meandering plot, but that is so much of the Giallo genre that we can’t help but wonder if that was intentionally done in the spirit of authenticity. “Censor” (2021) is probably the most fantastical of the Neo-Giallo as it creates a nightmare-logic fueled atmosphere where questioning reality is a prerequisite for enjoyment. “Censor” modernizes the Giallo protagonist by switching the gender roles from Male to Female, and feels in part inspired by Giallo as well as the 1995 Swedish splatterfilm, “Evil Ed.” Last, but most certainly not least is “Knife + Heart” (2018) which is a French production that is easily the most genuine tribute to the Giallo genre that also takes steps to update the perspectives for current standards. The focus this time being on the Gay Adult Film industry and celebrates a diverse cast of Queer actors and characters. “Knife + Heart” isn’t just a great celebration of the Giallo genre, it is a testament to the durability of it’s foundations and a recognition that these stories still work in modern contexts, so long as we adapt them to reflect the zeitgeist.

Sharpening The Blade

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and we surely missed a lot in what is a relatively brief summary of decades worth of influence. Take 1988’s “Evil Dead Trap,” which clearly inspired James Wan’s semi-Giallo “Malignant”(2021), both films that feel heavily inspired by Giallo tropes, but with added surrealistic flair that doubles down on the horror elements. Even TV shows take cues from the Giallo from “Twin Peaks” to Netflix’s “You” or Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” all borrowing multiple elements from the genre to craft something deceptively different for the untrained eye. It signals that the form will never really die so much as adapt, and at the same time will encourage a rediscovery as new generations of genre fans go back in time to understand the pathology of the genre. And if there is one thing we can count on, it’s that every January we all have an excuse to indulge in the excess of the Giallo genre and all of the impact it has had on film of the past, present, and future.

Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Featured

Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco