The one thing that lured me into seeing this movie is the irresistibly Giallo-sounding title. However, despite my fellow reviewers - most of them I practically always agree with - still claiming there are some definite trademarks, I honestly can't find any Giallo elements here. Only the title, and the title is pretty inaccurate, because the "killers" are actually bank robbers (who incidentally killed someone) and they are not "guests" but home invaders. Hence, I would categorize the film as a home-invasion thriller with obvious Poliziotesschi influences.
That being said, "The Killers are our Guests" is certainly worth seeking out if you're a fan of Italian cult/exploitation cinema from the 70s! It has a good atmosphere, familiar faces in the cast, a terrific soundtrack, plenty of gratuitous sleaze, a bit of violence, and an end-twist that I should have seen coming (but didn't). The plot of bank robbers seeking refugee and medical help in the private home of a doctor sounds simple and clichéd, but the atypical characters and their erratic behavior keeps the film compelling. The cast is nice, with spaghetti-western regular Anthony Steffen, ravishing beauty Margaret Lee, and naturally menacing-looking Giuseppe Castellano. Veteran actor Luigi Pistilli also stars, as the police commissioner, but he didn't really seem motivated to star. Still, though, in this film he has some of the most impressive sideburns I have ever seen.
That being said, "The Killers are our Guests" is certainly worth seeking out if you're a fan of Italian cult/exploitation cinema from the 70s! It has a good atmosphere, familiar faces in the cast, a terrific soundtrack, plenty of gratuitous sleaze, a bit of violence, and an end-twist that I should have seen coming (but didn't). The plot of bank robbers seeking refugee and medical help in the private home of a doctor sounds simple and clichéd, but the atypical characters and their erratic behavior keeps the film compelling. The cast is nice, with spaghetti-western regular Anthony Steffen, ravishing beauty Margaret Lee, and naturally menacing-looking Giuseppe Castellano. Veteran actor Luigi Pistilli also stars, as the police commissioner, but he didn't really seem motivated to star. Still, though, in this film he has some of the most impressive sideburns I have ever seen.