Un sussurro nel buio

It's a pity this movie is practically unknown, 'cause it would be a serious contender to reach the top of one of those "worst movie" lists... Intended to be a supernatural thriller, in the end it's only a collection of horror stereotypes, bad actors performing at their worst, embarrassing kitsch moments (yes, those great kitsch moments that can transform a b-movie into a trash cult!), the most disagreeable couple of twin girls in movie history and a screenplay that, lacking any trace of logic and plausibility, manages instead to deliver some tragically funny (alas, unintentionally) dialogues

The only real frights come courtesy of the scary costumes (pure 1970's-style) the actors wear throughout the movie: a collection of the worst of the worst of fashion...

And the only real mystery is why Joseph Cotten is in this mess...

I'm glad there are companies like NoShame that are resurrecting lost Italian genre films for DVD. I just wish these films would live up to their reputations! _A Whisper in the Dark_ is never even remotely scary and is, ultimately, a very slow-moving and rather pointless movie. It is not in the same league as films like Mario Bava's _Shock_ or _The Sixth Sense_, as another poster here has suggested. It doesn't even really have much to do with Henry James' _The Turn of the Screw_ or films based on that story. I kept waiting impatiently for something--ANYTHING--to happen and it never did. When the final credits rolled, I was thinking "is that it?" If you really want to see the movie for yourself, save your money and rent it from Netflix, as I did. Even then, you might regret taking up a space in your queue with this nonsense.

This Marcello Aliprandi's "Un sussurro nel buio" is a very peculiar movie. It comes, regarding the plot and the themes, earlier than some celebrated movie: in particularly "Shock" (1976) by Mario Bava, but also "Shining" (1980) and "The Sixth Sense" (1999). The story is about a child who, in a big and perturbing house in a north Italy country, talks and plays with a - maybe - inexistent other child. His parents get worried and try to understand. The end of the story is not devoid of ambiguity. The movie is visually impressive, odd in the plot (with a good sense of suspense), full of mystery and fascination for irrational. I think that in the italian `fantastic' genre "Un sussurro nel buio" is among the best and the most original ones: Marcello Aliprandi may be compared with directors like Mario Bava, Pupi Avati and Michele Soavi. Even if it isn't always a very solid movie, if you like this italian genre you must see this refined film. Very enjoyable the cast: John Phillip Law, Nathalie Delon and even Joseph Cotten.

I wish that the last few minutes of this film didn't exist: rarely has an ending to a film ruined things so much.

For the most part, A Whisper in the Dark is a haunting ghost story: Alessandro Poggi plays 11-year-old Martino, who has an imaginary brother called Luca; unknown to Martino, he once had a sibling of the same name, who was born prematurely and died shortly after. Is 'imaginary' Luca actually the ghost of the dead child, and is he responsible for the bad things that happen to people who upset Martino?

Employing a slow burn approach, director Marcello Aliprandi carefully builds the suspense and eerie atmosphere, with inexplicable occurrences adding to the evidence that Luca is real and not just a figment of Martino's imagination. Eventually, Martino's mother Camilla (Nathalie Delon) starts to believe her son and, realising that the supernatural presence could be due to her inability to accept the loss of her baby, decides to help Luca find peace.

And that's where the film should have ended.

Instead, there's a ridiculous final scene in which Martino and his family are having breakfast, the boy still convinced that Luca is there, the rest of the family playing along. It makes no sense and spoils an otherwise very good movie.

6.5/10, rounded down to 6 for the ending (although Pino Donaggio's excellent score nearly had me rounding it up).

April 2021

This film is possibly a bit of a love or hate film, and i can certainly see why some people say nothing happens, as i agree not a lot does happen, i personally don't find it scary at all.

I do still really enjoy it for what it is, its not a giallo exactly, it takes place in a villa which is now a prestigious hotel near venice and we do get some scenes in venice itself.

I met one of the stars a few years ago...Olga Bisera at a signing show, and when i asked her about this and told her how much i liked it she was over the moon as the others were all talking about her James Bond role, so she was really friendly and nice.

I have seen this many times and its hard to explain why i like it so much but i do, but i do like all the Italian, giallos and mysteries from this time.

9 out of 10.