With Argento’s trademark visual style, linked with one of his more coherent plots, Tenebrae follows a writer who arrives to Rome only to find somebody is using his novels as the inspiration (and, occasionally, the means) of committing murder. As the death toll mounts the police are ever baffled, and the writer becomes more closely linked to the case than is comfortable.

Tenebre (1982)
  • Rating: (8,175 votes)
  • Taglines:Terror Beyond Belief » A Descent Into Madness »
  • Runtime:110 minutes
  • Director: Dario Argento
  • Country:Italy
  • Actors:
    Peter Neal
    Anthony Franciosa
    Gianni
    Christian Borromeo
    Tilde
    Mirella D'Angelo
    Jane McKerrow
    Veronica Lario
    Elsa Manni
    Ania Pieroni
    Girl on Beach (as Eva Robins)
    Eva Robin's
    Detective Altieri
    Carola Stagnaro
    Christiano Berti
    John Steiner
    Maria Alboretto
    Lara Wendel
    Bullmer
    John Saxon
  • Genres:Horror, Mystery, Thriller
  • Producers:
    Claudio Argento
    producer  
    Salvatore Argento
    executive producer  
  • Plots: With Argento's trademark visual style, linked with one of his more coherent plots, Tenebrae follows a writer who arrives to Rome only to find somebody is using his novels as the inspiration (and, occasionally, the means) of committing murder. As the death toll mounts the police are ever baffled, and the writer becomes more closely linked to the case than is comfortable. Written by David Carroll <davidc@atom.ansto.gov.au>
Tenebre
  • User's comment:A top-notch giallo from the master of Italian horror, Dario Argento. by BA_Harrison

    With its leather-gloved killer, amazing score, spectacular and innovative camera-work, and wonderfully gory murders, Tenebre delivers everything you could ask for in a giallo. Like many Italian murder mysteries, the story takes some swallowing, but if you can accept the convoluted plot, there's plenty of fun to be had.

    Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is a best-selling novelist who becomes involved in real life murder mystery when the victims of a razor-wielding killer are found with pages from his latest book stuffed in their mouths.

    One of director Dario Argento's best movies, Tenebre is packed to the rafters with the kind of stuff that make good giallos such a trip to watch. As pretty girls are stalked and killed by a raspy-voiced maniac, the director offers genuine clues and red herrings aplenty, allowing the audience to have fun trying to figure out who the killer is. The movie's stunning cinematography is accompanied by one of Goblin's greatest scores, transforming what may have been mundane moments in the hands of a lesser director into pure works of art (in one amazing scene the camera simply prowls slowly around the outside of a building, but with Argento in control, it is simply breathtaking!).

    Murder has never been so stylish, and even the most grisly deaths are stunningly captured. A particularly memorable moment has a young girl stumble into the house of the killer, before being chased through a garden; this scene is shot from the axe-wielding maniac's point of view, and is incredibly effective.

    Fans of gore are also catered for with several gruesome murders, the best of which involves bucket-loads of arterial spray decorating most of a wall. Juicy!

    Argento reveals the identity of the killer in a suitably silly finale (all gialli have them), before offing the murderer in a fittingly gruesome manner.

    Check out Tenebre and witness one of the great works from one of Italian horror's finest.


  • Quotes: Peter Neal: I've been charged, I've tried building a plot the same way you have. I've tried to figure it out; but, I just have this hunch that something is missing, a tiny piece of the jigsaw. Somebody who should be dead is alive, or somebody who should be alive is already dead. Detective Germani: Explain that. Peter Neal: You know, there's a sentence in a Conan Doyle book, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
  • Also known as: Tenebre (Finland - DVD box title), Tenebre (Hungary - imdb display title), Tenebre (Spain - imdb display title), Tenebre (USA - imdb display title), Tenebrae ( - undefined), Tenebrae (UK - imdb display title), Ölümün sesi (Turkey - video title, Turkish title), Bezumlje (Serbia - imdb display title), Ciemnosci (Poland - imdb display title), Pelkoa ei voi paeta (Finland), Placer del miedo (Mexico - imdb display title), Skies (Greece - DVD title), Sotto gli occhi dell'assassino ( - undefined), Ténèbres (France), Tenebre - Der kalte Hauch des Todes (West Germany), Tenebre: O paranoikos dolofonos (Greece - transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title), Tinieblas (Argentina), Under the Eyes of the Assassin ( - undefined), Unsane (USA - informal alternative title),

What do you think of this movie? Leave a comment.