Morirai a mezzanotte

Nicola's beautiful wife is brutally murdered in the shower immediately after he discovers that she has been cheating on him.Naturally the police assume Nicola is responsible, but the possibility of another suspect becomes more and more likely..."You'll Die at Midnight" is one of the better Lamberto Bava's giallo efforts.The film is surprisingly stylish and the killings are quite gory.The film borrows a lot from Dario Argento's brilliant "Tenebre",although I enjoyed it more than earlier Bava's giallo "A Blade in the Dark".The murder of a young woman who has underwear stuffed down her throat is an obvious nod to the first killing scene in "Tenebre".The stalking scene in the abandoned theater is truly creepy.The score by Claudio Simonetti is great and the acting is decent with Valeria D'Obici and Leonardo Treviglio in the leading roles.The story is pretty derivative,but "You'll Die at Midnight" shouldn't disappoint fans of Italian giallos.7 out of 10.

One of the lesser seen of Lamberto Bava's gialli, Midnight Killer is a nifty little affair that won't rock any worlds but does deliver rather nicely. The plot begins with a drunk and jealous policeman fighting with his wife after suspecting her of infidelity. She is soon killed and suspicion falls on him, but things are a little more complicated and the bodies mount up. And what does a deceased serial killer have to do with it? Things are evenly paced and pretty engaging, though they don't really sparkle until the intense finale. The main problem is that there isn't really a clear hero, there are three nominal main characters and screen time is spread fairly evenly between them without letting any grow to a truly sympathetic level. The writing is light on characterization so the film bowls along rather than truly hooking, and worse there isn't much in the way of detective work or intrigue (though there are a few red herrings). Fortunately the mystery at hand is fairly interesting and the killings deliver, though not especially gory they're handled with flair and pack a decent vicious punch, we may not see gruesome detail but there's vigorous stabbing with a bit of blood and a nice nod to Tenebrae, all nicely edited for sharp and shocking punch (by Bava credited as John Old Jr.). Backed up with a cool pulsing score from Claudio Simonetti and making good use of some cool locations Bava makes each one count, though he lacks the genius of his father or the flowing technical prowess of the best in the genre he skillfully builds suspense and gets in some cool shots, like a top down view from the heights of a theatre. The underwritten cast do their best, with Valeria D'Obici coming off best as a committed criminal psychologist, edgy but likable she makes the strongest impression. Paolo Malco is dour inspector, stolidly by the book and watchable if a little dull. Leonardo Treviglio is a decent suspect with a shifty, unwholesome air about him and things are mostly rounded out by various young lovelies including Lara Wendell who brighten the screen with looks if not much in the way of presence. No nudity, a shame because it probably would have pushed things up a notch. Like I mentioned though the finale rocks, suspenseful stalking in a hotel with a couple of decent shocks leading to a decidedly silly reveal that doesn't really make sense in the context but is ludicrous enough to please. Altogether this is pretty cool stuff and worth your time, though only truly recommended to giallo aficionados

Even though the truly golden years for the Italian giallo had passed since quite a while already, the decade of the 1980's still brought forward a handful of decent & memorable efforts. Two directors in particular kept this magnificent sub genre alive, namely Dario Argento (with his "Tenebrae" and "Opera") and Lamberto Bava. His best known giallo may be "A Blade in the Dark" but this "The Midnight Ripper" is arguable his best effort, alongside "Delirium: Photos of Gioia". Whatever the film lacks in originality and plausibility, it makes up in sheer suspense and gory good killings! When the adulterous wife of a police officer is found brutally stabbed in her apartment, her husband Nikola immediately becomes the prime suspect because he's an alcoholic and doesn't have an alibi. But when more murder occur in the city, a female police psycho-analyst points out that the nature of these killings strangely resemble the style of notorious Italian serial killer. The only problem is that this killer, nicknamed the Midnight Ripper, died in an arson more than ten years ago. No, sadly the plot of this film isn't as convoluted as those of 70's gialli, but it surely holds your attention and Lamberto Bava at least attempted to add some typical red herrings. The musical score is absolutely staggering, thanks to composer Claudio Simonetti (the main man behind the successful cult band Goblin). Ah yes, and then there are the murders.... Anyone who's familiar with other Bava titles such as "Demons" or "Macabre" knows that our director isn't afraid to stuff his films with sadistic violence and graphic gore. The gruesome murders in "The Midnight Ripper" are committed by ordinary kitchenware, such as knives, an ice-pick (eat your heart out, "Basic Instinct"!) and even a blender. It's a very cool film and I'm sure that every fan of Italian horror cinema will love watching it.

I recently watched the Italian giallo 🇮🇹 You'll Die at Midnight (1986) on Tubi. The storyline follows a man who gets into an argument with his wife, who shortly thereafter ends up stabbed to death. He goes on the run from authorities and decides to stay with his ex-girlfriend, who reluctantly agrees to help him. As he searches for clues to clear his name, he's fortunate that his ex-girlfriend is assigned to the case. However, as bodies start piling up, it becomes increasingly hard for him to hide.

This film is directed by Lamberto Bava (Demons) and stars Valeria D'Obici (Escape from the Bronx), Leonardo Treviglio (Titus), Eliana Miglio (Demons), and Paolo Malco (The New York Ripper).

This is a unique giallo that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. The storytelling and dialogue feel like an 80s soap opera at times, despite having a unique and interesting premise. The opening shower scene was disappointing and a far cry from Psycho. The kill scenes are classic giallo, with stalking elements and limited gore but enjoyable stab scenes. The diverse kill settings add an extra layer of interest. The killer's mask was cool and reminded me of Mr. Bean. The final reveal was solid.

In conclusion, You'll Die at Midnight is a mediocre addition to the giallo genre but is still worth a watch for genre fans. I would score this a 5/10 and recommend it with appropriate expectations.

Midnight Killer is exactly what you would expect from Lamberto Bava.Full of suspense,thrills,twists,turns,red herrings.But also people (mostly women acting stupid). Some of the victims act in such an illogical manner that at one point you begin to think."Don't tell me she is that stupid.Go ahead,kill her already". The pace is really good and you are constantly wondering who the killer is. At one point you can deduce it for yourself. Although I must admit that Lamberto successfully made me doubt a couple of times. He uses some clever tricks to put you off the trail.And in this case I simply loved that.Of course the ending might be too far fetched for some especially since the explanation is fast and short.It did not matter to me since it was effective.Overall Midnight Killer is a very decent giallo that delivers.