Jane (Edwige Fenech) is plagued by recurring, horrifying nightmares. When the man tormenting her in these nightmares begins to appear in real life, her situation worsens. Jane soon finds herself unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
This film can be seen as an Italian response to Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, where paranoia and Satanism take centre stage.
What we have here is a rather unusual giallo, as many of the elements typical of the genre, especially those popularized by Dario Argento, are absent. While it’s refreshing to see a film that doesn’t follow the standard formula, this one perhaps takes its deviation too far—it suffers from unusually poor story structure. The narrative style is mostly confusing and dull. Director Sergio Martino constantly shifts between fantasy and reality, resulting in a story that lacks engagement. Martino himself has claimed that he may have been ahead of his time with this approach, as the film was a flop upon its release. Ahead of its time or not, no era deserves such a chaotic plot. It’s just too much of a mess.
That said, the film does have its positive aspects. Bruno Nicolai’s score is atmospheric and excellent. Having worked frequently with the legendary Ennio Morricone, Nicolai may have absorbed some of the maestro’s brilliance. The performances by giallo staples Edwige Fenech and George Hilton are, as usual, solid. The film also features a slew of familiar faces for giallo enthusiasts, including Susan Scott (Death Walks at Midnight), Marina Malfatti (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, The Night Evelyn Came Out of Her Grave), Ivan Rassimov (Blade of the Ripper), Julián Ugarte (Autopsy), Georges Rigaud (Eyeball, Case of the Bloody Iris), and Dominique Boschero (Who Saw Her Die?).
Unfortunately, the strengths aren’t enough to elevate this semi-giallo beyond slightly above average.
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