A late entry into the realm of the giallo, 1986’s The Killer is Still Among Us, directed by then first time film maker Camillo Teti, comes across as rather meta and self-aware. . . after all, how often do you see a couple go to a giallo in a giallo?
Based off of the true story of a serial killer known as “the Monster of Florence”, poor young couples, looking for love in all the wrong places (and by that, I mean in secluded, wooded areas), are being picked off by an unknown assailant. . . sometimes using a gun, at others, a knife.
These long unsolved murders (the first taking place in `68, the last in `85) pique the interest of Christiana Marelli (Mariangela D’Abbaraccio) – the top student in her criminology program. In fact, she has decided to do her thesis on the case. . . much to the chagrin of everyone in her life: her professor (Riccardo Parisio Perrotti); the police – who clearly have it under control; and her new roguish boyfriend, Dr. Alex (Giovanni Visentin) – the forensic pathologist working in the local morgue.
As she digs deeper into the murders, strange occurrences begin to spook the woman. . . odd phone calls warning her to stop her investigation, creepy looks from seemingly seedy individuals, an ambulance follows her and later nearly runs her over, while at one point, a stalker forcefully attempts to gain entry to her apartment. Despite her increasing paranoia, she continues on her path, making her way to a local bar known to be frequented by Peeping Toms of the community – don’t you love it when they all congregate in the same bar to make it easy for us? Brought on one of their voyeuristic escapades, she attempts to get into the mind of the illusive killer. . . though this look over your shoulder lifestyle has her starting to believe her boyfriend might be the one she’s looking for (though she only has circumstantial evidence).
At times very macabre, there are a couple of murders in here that are not for the faint of heart. . . especially jarring, as for much of the picture is more of an atmospheric mood piece. Yet, the suspense of the investigation gives way to bloody violence you don’t see very often, so consider this a warning.
Though its pacing might be deemed a bit too slow and there are some dull lulls, there is no denying that The Killer is Still Among Us has some intriguing elements – especially with its true crime nature. Rather ironically, the film making team attempts to quash the film’s exploitative nature by inserting a message during the end credits saying that they made this movie to warn young couples to stay safe and to help the police with their investigation.
With an ending that in some ways has a connection to Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder, which itself was based upon yet unsolved murders that took place in the Gyeonggi Province of South Korea from the mid 80s until the early 90s, they could make a rather fetching double feature. To return to the meta aspects of this picture once more, a moment towards the end finds Dr. Alex and Christiana in a theatre while a Hitchcock movie is playing. . . the only thing is it is actually this very film that is playing in its stead (a rather cheeky touch).
A lesser giallo to be sure, The Killer is Still Among Us offers viewers some bloody gore (which might scare others away), suspenseful tingles, and a creative and unsettling ending that might just pick its way into your brain. Though there are numerous gialli to visit prior to this one, fans of the genre will still find a number of things to like. So, take a peep at this late entry giallo, no one will call you a Tom (unless your name is Tom).
This film is in Italian with English subtitles