Mio Caro Assassino

Introducing us to what would normally be our main protagonist in a gialli, Umberto Paradisi (Francesco Di Federico) – an insurance investigator turned amateur sleuth who has hired a two bucketed backhoe to dredge up some unknown clue from a murky quarry pond, is unceremoniously nabbed by the two pronged machine, hoisted up, legs dangling, before his neck finally gives way and he is no more – talk about an introduction!

The movie title, which is a rare near perfect translation of its original Italian, is My Dear Killer (1972), directed by Tonino Valerii, a slightly lesser known giallo with some influential moments. Though its main issue might be its pacing. . . it does tend to drag a bit (a complicated analysis, as it means its script is impressively tight, yet that also brings with it more dialogue than suspense – something unusual for the genre), though, in the end, it does not take away too much from the concluding gut punch or the few wild kills we do get.

Instead of the aforementioned amateur sleuth, we get Inspector Luca Peretti (George Hilton – The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail), a rather competent (for this genre) detective who immediately ignores his fellow officers’ suggestions that it was merely a decapitation accident. Soon, the backhoe’s driver is found dead of an apparent suicide. . . again, things don’t add up to the Inspector.

What we soon learn is that this seems to be a case within a case, as these murders somehow relate to a previous kidnapping, turned dual nabbing, turned double homicide (of a wealthy father and his much loved daughter).

Investigating every loose strand from this year old cold case, soon those who had some insight pertaining to this double murder start turning up dead. With some fantastic camera work dancing its way through a Mercedes Benz emblem on a car, we know the killer drives in style, the visuals then turn POV as this unknown individual stalks a number of people (who will likely end up dead) with his trusty German automobile.

Leading to many suspects, most of which are the relatives of the father and daughter, it adds a seedy and very dark turn to the narrative. The further Peretti falls down the rabbit hole, the more he finds hints of family madness, unexpected aggressiveness, dangerous criminal activity, a possible pedophile, and even a general suspicion of the family’s hired help.

A movie that at times shows immense skill from its team (and at others, seems like an amateur production), its visuals can be absolutely alluring – a lengthy point of view one-take that meanders around an apartment before a gruesome Black and Decker murder that would make Brian De Palma proud (the only time the suspense is ratcheted up to a fever pitch), while quality uses of zooms, pans, and other techniques are utilized to create an intriguing visual style. . . yet, some of the messy cuts and sloppy goofs are head scratching. But it is the moments of sheer audacity that come by way of stunt work and camera tricks (again, the person with his neck being crushed in the opening scene is a real stunt person – a special iron neck protector was developed so that he wouldn’t be killed doing the shot), that have won over the likes of Quentin Tarantino and numerous genre fans along the way.

A mixed bag that should beguile you in the end (and what a conclusion it is – a moment where story and visuals come together for pure perfection – in fact, it has a very Agatha Christie type vibe), My Dear Killer is another giallo to add to your list. With this being the only crime/thriller coming from director Valerii, you might be able to guess what genre he spent most of his career working in whilst watching this very film, as at one point, a character can be seen viewing the cult classic Django, only for the person to later cheekily trash it. . . you guessed it, the spaghetti western. A most important final note – this picture features a fantastically jazzy score from icon Ennio Morricone. So, draw some connections that may mirror films from some of the more modern and famous directors by seeing this feature my dears, you won’t regret it.

This film can be watched in Italian with English subtitles, or in dubbed English