Tenebre

Giallo, o mais próximo de O Mistério da Casa Assombrada na filmografia de Dario Argento - ou seja, assassinatos sangrentos em câmara grande angular. No geral, porém, Tenebre é uma obra medíocre, de meia estrela mais fraca do que o referido clássico. O mistério e a atmosfera são mais fracos, e câmara mencionada apenas acompanha em vez de valorizar. O nível de gore aumenta com cada assassínio, culminando, no final, numa cena pela qual não se arrepende de um segundo gasto a ver a meia-treta anterior. Obrigatório para os fãs do subgénero. (08/06/2003)

A very well crafted thriller. The story follows a classic, well-trodden template where the killer murders according to a book he is a fan of, so, nothing new. There’s also the final “surprising” twist, which at least for me was a bit predictable. What’s interesting, though, is the very stylish murder scenes, Argento uses a garish red-white contrast in each of them. White dresses, white walls (the scene when a severed hand scratches the entire pure white wall with an arcing motion is one of the most unforgettable), a white kitchen, a white sheet on a victim's body, and everywhere the red colour of blood fits like a glove. But I can’t say I was scared. Tenebrae is not a horror film, but rather a crime drama in which the murders are depicted in a slightly harsher way than is usual in this genre, which, of course, it’s to be expected from Argento. (30/08/2003)

When he isn’t playing with crayons, making fun of feminists or staging one of his many baroquely spectacular murders, Dario Argento is constructing and deconstructing a detective story, simply and predictably, yet also entertainingly all the way to the bloody climax with a very unusual demonstration of how to paint a room red. 70% (17/03/2013)

The last of the better known Argento’s Giallo that I hadn’t seen, and I can’t say I’m particularly thrilled –  though after my previous experiences, I wasn’t expecting much. I’ll say it again: Argento does have interesting ideas (mainly technically and artistically speaking), but he’s not that good as a director and the performances of the actors under his baton are amazing sometimes; Tenebrae is a typical example of this. At least there’s an above average number of murders, so there is something to look at and the film is not as boring as some of its predecessors... The climax is quite spectacular and improves the overall impression, but three stars is the most I’m willing to award. (05/07/2009)

Some tricks and the ending are a bit clumsy, but what must be acknowledged about the film is the absolutely superb music, which is the work of the band Goblin, with whom Dario frequently collaborated. To be more precise, the music was recorded by only three members of this otherwise four-member band. They are credited on the soundtrack as Simonetti-Morante-Pignatelli, not as Goblin. However, it is once again their music that elevates the film even further. (29/04/2016)