"Torso" focuses on the student body at the University of Rome which is under siege by a masked sex maniac who is strangling young coeds. American-abroad Jane (Suzy Kendall) leaves with her friends to a cliffside manor located in a villa outside the city for the weekend, but unfortunately for her and her friends, the killer is on their trail.
While the plot to "Torso" is fairly substandard on paper, Sergio Martino's 1973 thriller is anything but. Although fairly "slow" by slasher standards, as a giallo film, it maintains a steady pace throughout, but the real fun begins when the girls arrive to the cliffside retreat. What could turn into a fairly by-the-numbers horror film at that point subverts expectations, resulting in a nail-biting finale with Jane hiding in the house while the killer resumes business as usual, limb by limb.
Giancarlo Ferrando's cinematography in the film is elegant at showcasing both the city life and countryside of Italy, but is even more effective in molding an ominous mood. The presentation of the ski-masked villain is particularly menacing, accentuated by wide shots that lend the film a certain sort of tension; amidst several wide shots showcasing the land and city, there is a sense that the killer could be lurking anywhere in the frames.
Throw in some above average acting (especially from Kendall), a bit of gratuitous nudity, some vicious murder scenes, and an unexpected ending, and you've got a pretty decent thriller here. The slowburn approach that the film takes may require some patience, but the atmosphere of the film and its third act really make it shine. Favorite scene? When the woman wandering in the woods is approached and murdered by the killer. The wide shot of him descending upon her among the misty trees is enough to make anyone's blood chill. 7/10.
While the plot to "Torso" is fairly substandard on paper, Sergio Martino's 1973 thriller is anything but. Although fairly "slow" by slasher standards, as a giallo film, it maintains a steady pace throughout, but the real fun begins when the girls arrive to the cliffside retreat. What could turn into a fairly by-the-numbers horror film at that point subverts expectations, resulting in a nail-biting finale with Jane hiding in the house while the killer resumes business as usual, limb by limb.
Giancarlo Ferrando's cinematography in the film is elegant at showcasing both the city life and countryside of Italy, but is even more effective in molding an ominous mood. The presentation of the ski-masked villain is particularly menacing, accentuated by wide shots that lend the film a certain sort of tension; amidst several wide shots showcasing the land and city, there is a sense that the killer could be lurking anywhere in the frames.
Throw in some above average acting (especially from Kendall), a bit of gratuitous nudity, some vicious murder scenes, and an unexpected ending, and you've got a pretty decent thriller here. The slowburn approach that the film takes may require some patience, but the atmosphere of the film and its third act really make it shine. Favorite scene? When the woman wandering in the woods is approached and murdered by the killer. The wide shot of him descending upon her among the misty trees is enough to make anyone's blood chill. 7/10.