In the spirit of Bava, Fulci, and Argento comes another Italian horror classic, or at least that’s what its title is suggesting.  Earlier today, Netflix released an incredibly creepy teaser for their upcoming film, A Classic Horror Story!

While not much is known plotwise, the teaser itself gives us brief glimpses into some sort of cabin or lodge in the wood, bathed in a demonic red glow, complimented by the screams of an unfortunate victim strapped to some device that would intrigue Jigsaw himself.

All of this is juxtaposed with an upbeat cheery song in Italian that’s meant to make its audience feel unsettled, which it does very well.  The roughly 30 second video conveys less what the film is about, and more what the overall tone and mood of the movie will be.  And in a lot of ways, that’s very much the essence of Italian horror.

Going back the old giallo films that Bava, Fulci, and Argento were famous for making, the story was still important, but it took a backseat to the dreamlike and surreal atmosphere.  The goal was less about telling a linear narrative, and more about creating a mood that stuck with the audience.

And with a title like A Classic Horror Story, we can only assume that the movie’s goal is to nostalgically hearken back to the Italian giallo films of old.  Much like how slashers made a comeback in the 90’s and 00’s (albeit with a meta twist), the giallo could very easily come back as well, and it this could be it.

Co-directors (and screenwriters) Roberto De Feo and Paulo Strippoli, aren’t exactly household names yet.  De Feo is best known for his 2019 feature length directorial debut, The Nest.  But both creators are at the beginning of their careers, and hopefully have a lot more to show us!

A Classic Horror Story debuts on Netflix July 14, 2021

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