10 Best Titles of Giallo Films
Giallo movies—which is technically redundant, but the plural Gialli seems to confuse folks—are a mixed bag, like any other sub-genre. The Italian made (and perfected) whodunits with gloved killers, POV murders, straight razor blades, sexy times, and other tropes offer some of the most visually stylish films ever made and also some of the most convoluted plotting found in any form of entertainment.
But one thing is for certain—Gialli sub-genre boasts the greatest film titles. They are evocative and florid, but also cryptic; they promise something lurid and decadent, but it’s not exactly clear what that something may be. There’s a nice mixture of the wording of old time radio mysteries, overly ornate song lyrics, and what sounds like episode titles for shows like Mannix or Simon & Simon.
Below are the ten best titles that have emerged from this sub-genre. The titles don’t reflect the quality of the movies themselves; often how good the film is can actually be inverse to the greatness of its name. But these are terrific phrases that conjure up all sorts of violent and sexy scandals full of madness, mystery, and murder.
For more information on these titles, Vinegar Syndrome’s Brad Henderson has compiled an exhaustive list on Letterboxd (that he also ranked) of 250 Gialli that has information about the movies for those intrigued.
