When everyone around you has frozen, you know horror is right around the corner.
The Evil Eye (or The Girl Who Knew Too Much; Italian; 1963) chronicles a visit to Rome in the 1950s by a young American girl, Nora. Her aunt dies; she’s mugged; she witnesses a murder, a knife plum in the back; doubting police; noises in the night at domiciles; etc etc.
And all of this, why? I’m not sure. It does seem to belong in the horror genre, but of a different era, as she’s not so much emotionally blasted as puzzled. Wikipedia calls it giallo …
… a genre that often contains slasher, thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural horror elements.
I didn’t notice any of the supernatural horror elements, but we viewed this a while ago, too, so I may have forgotten them. I recall there’s some spooky noises. Sort of. It’s not all that memorable.
I thought it was well-acted, with a view into the post-war Italian culture. Perhaps the horror is a metaphor for the recent war, or the madness of putting Mussolini in charge prior; however, I have little contact with Italian culture, now or then, so I have no certainty.
And will it appeal to you? Do you like old horror? The answer to the latter may also appeal to the former.
Enjoy.
