A fascinating combination of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” infused with the daunting question of ‘can you change your own fate?’, Lucio Fulci’s The Psychic (1977) – at least in the US (in its native Italy: Seven Notes in Black. . . other title iterations include Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes and Death Tolls Seven Times), is a parapsychology tinged giallo nonpareil.
Virginia Ducci (Jennifer O’Neill) is haunted by the second sight. . . something she horrifically learned when she could sense her mother committing suicide when she was just a young girl. Having moved on from that traumatizing early childhood experience, the English woman has married a wealthy, frequently traveling Italian businessman, Francesco Ducci (Gianni Garko), moving from her native UK to picturesque Italy.
Yet, that unwanted foresight soon flashes once again in her mind. . . a mysteriously ornate room lit by a red-shaded lamp, a statue hiding a letter beneath it, an unusual yellow paper-wrapped cigarette burning along the edge of an ashtray, an ancient image of the Madonna (Mary, not the pop star), a mirror shattered – cause unknown, a magazine with a striking woman on its cover, a large hole in the wall, a man with a noticeable limp, an elderly woman bloodily murdered, a body being bricked behind said hole in the wall. . . a vision not for the faint of heart.
Shaking it off, her first task upon arriving in Italy is surprising her husband by restoring his dilapidated farmhouse (more like a villa), which has fallen into disrepair. Completely boarded up and with all of its furniture covered by ghostly white sheets, as she begins to reveal things, she discovers that one of the rooms is the location seen in her mind’s eye.
Bashing in the wall, she finds a body long since decomposed. Yet, after a short time of investigation, the police are sure that it is that of a young woman. . . not the old one Virginia was sure it would be. Furthering the mystery, could this simply be bizarre happenstance, or perhaps even more disturbingly, a vision of the future?
Leading her on an investigative journey of discovery, she consults her longtime friend and therapist, Luca Fattori (Marc Porel) – a man who also does heavy research into the realm of psychic phenomena. Attempting to decipher her vision, they also consult Francesco’s sister, Gloria (Evelyn Stewart) – someone informed with the house and its surrounding area. . . the film’s Italian title comes from a gift Gloria gives Virginia – a rare watch with an unusual carillon, or hauntingly childlike chime (in fact, the entire score by Fabio Frizzi is fantastic, giving the picture a simple, darkly dignified sound).
Like unwrapping a gift only to find more wrapping paper, this case is not what it seems. . . leading Virginia to both a horse track and an art gallery (following the clues seen in her vision) – which is run by the unnerving Emilio Rospini (Gabriele Ferzetti). Again, beware. . . nothing is what it seems!
The striking, if somewhat ominous, American one sheet poster for The Psychic
An in-depth narrative revolving around the concepts of predestination and fate, Fulci, who co-wrote with Roberto Gianviti and Dardano Sacchetti, developed an engrossing and very fair story that in no way cheats. Robust and finely thought out, like in many gialli, Virginia, and in a more minor way, Luca, are the amateur sleuths, attempting to decipher the cryptic clues to solve the murder (in this case, one forthcoming and the other long since passed). Having major repercussions for both Virginia and her husband (who has carelessly been arrested by the cops as the prime suspect due to some circumstantial evidence), the story further sharpens its teeth as our protagonist travels further down the rabbit hole. . . learning that she may be more involved in all of this than first imagined. Featuring a fabulous and rather open-ended conclusion, Fulci leaves the audience hanging. . . an optimist will clearly have a very different closing perspective than a pessimist (and all of this will influence your take on whether your fate can be changed or not).
A fascinating feature, The Psychic is a confidently crafted horror tinged mystery thriller (done in a more classically-filmed and traditional style). Showing Fulci’s knack for getting the most out of his locations (from a church in midst of renovation or a multi-level circular building), as well as his skill at developing this style of film (his fourth gialli) – expect some visual flair and an all-round talent in basically every way, building a palpable suspense as things percolate towards the finale. Fulci also shows rare restraint here – leaving the excessive violence and nudity out and letting the story take center stage. A last note – one of Quentin Tarantino’s favourites, he attempted to remake it with Bridget Fonda in the early 2000’s. . . even after that fell apart, he utilized the seven-note theme music multiple times in Kill Bill Vol. 1 – a simple, somewhat hidden tribute only for cinephiles in the know. So, break down any impeding walls and see this later era giallo, it hits all the right notes.
Can be seen in Italian with English subtitles or in dubbed English (many complaints have been made about the film’s dubbing, so I would suggest the former)