Midnight Horror

Boring characters and story, bad acting and even more stupid plot twist, "Midnight Killer" is a below average movie that captures everything that could go wrong with a giallo movie. It isn't completely unwatchable, but I would lie if I told you I wasn't happy when it finally ended. There is that scene with electric mixer, so that's at least something funny to ease your pain. 5/10! I don't recommend it to anyone.

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.

The director of Midnight Killer is Lamberto Bava, son of the legendary Mario. Lamberto's era was the 80's and he made several effective and fun horror films in that decade. So it is with some disappointment that I have to conclude that I thought Midnight Killer his weakest effort I have seen. It's very possible that Bava himself wasn't too crazy about this one either seeing as he went under a pseudonym.

The story follows a fairly typical giallo plot-line about serial murder. It borrows a bit from other earlier films from the genre like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Torso and Tenebrae. But it never approaches the standard of any of these. While Bava does manage to generate some decent suspense at times, overall the film is a little half-hearted. Even the soundtrack by the usually inspired Claudio Simonetti of Goblin fame is a fairly pedestrian synth score. The mystery itself isn't so obvious to work out but given the insane final explanation that is not really so surprising to be honest. In fact, the final killer reveal is especially daft even by giallo standards. It actually enters into Hanna-Barbera territory! It isn't as gory as many gialli and there isn't really any nudity but there still is a mean spiritedness to the scenes with the killer nevertheless. This is alleviated somewhat though by moments that enter the truly absurd, such as a part when one of the victims tries to defend herself with a kitchen blender! This scene is agreeably moronic and at least good for a chuckle.

I have to conclude that overall, while Midnight Killer has some good moments it isn't very good as a whole.

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.

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.