Tenebre (Unsane) poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma, Mirella D'Angelo ... see more see more... , Veronica Lario , John Steiner , Lara Wendel , Christian Borromeo , Anja Pieroni , Eva Robins , Mirella Banti , Carola Stagnaro , Ennio Girolami , Marino Masé , Fulvio Mingozzi

Dario Argento leaves a distinct and bloody impression with this Italian horror film that took the slasher genre to graphic new limits at the time of its release. Novelist Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa... read more read more...) jets into Rome to promote his new book. Simultaneously, a killer obsessed with Neal begins a brutal series of murders that are followed by cryptic notes to the author. Inspector Germani (Giuliano Gemma) questions Neal, who then begins his own investigation into the bizarre case with the help of his assistant, Anne (Daria Nicolodi), and local youth Gianni (Christian Borromeo). Neal and Gianni follow leads to the home of a TV talk-show host (John Steiner), who is axed to death in front of Gianni while Neal is knocked unconscious. As they close in on the killer, flashbacks show the killer's murderous beginnings and an obsession with red shoes. Meanwhile, Neal's publicist, Bullmer (John Saxon), is revealed to be having an affair with the author's ex-lover, Jane (Veronica Lario), making them both potential suspects. Inspector Germani insists that Neal leave town, but even when he does, the killer strikes again, knifing Bullmer in broad daylight. At the same time, Gianni returns to the home of the dead talk-show host and recalls an important detail about the murder. However, he is strangled before he can tell anyone. At her apartment, Jane is brutally slain just as Inspector Germani arrives to discover the murderer's identity, along with the shocking, twist-filled truth behind the entire case. ~ Patrick Legare, Rovi

Flixster Users

77% liked it

8,642 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

15 critics

R, 1 hr. 41 min.

Directed by: Dario Argento

Release Date: October 28, 1982

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 29, 2005

Stats: 550 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) tenebre Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane) Tenebre (Unsane)
Upload a Photo | View All Tenebre (Unsane) Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (550)

  • kenstachnik
    April 15, 2011
    kenstachnik
    It's no Bird with the Crystal Plumage, or Deep Red (or Suspiria for that matter), but Tenebre is still one hell of a giallo.
  • matertenebraum
    April 14, 2011
    matertenebraum
    After the opening credits the film starts in New York, as American author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) cycles to JFK airport. He flies to Rome so he can promote his new murder mystery novel 'tenebrae'. Meanwhile in Rome a woman tries to steal a copy of the book from some shop a... read morend is caught. She convinces the security guard to let her off. But someone in the store is watching her and has seen whats happened. Back at her flat she is attacked, pages of the book 'tenebrae' are forced into her mouth and her throat is slashed with a straight razor, just like the one the killer uses in the book. The police head straight for Neal to question him, while there Neal receives a letter and phone call from the killer, from then on Neal is thrown in a complex mystery and plunged into the centre of a number of senseless, violent murders. Written and directed by the overrated Dario Argento this is definitely one of his best films. Stylishly filmed with visually pleasing photography, the stand out sequence being the murder of the two lesbians, the camera starts outside of a window looking in at one of the victims, it then moves up a level to another window, it moves across the side of the house to yet another window in which the second victim can be seen playing a record, then the camera moves up toward the roof, glides along it and back down the opposite side of the house from which it started to rest on the killers gloved hand breaking into the house. All in one smooth flowing shot, very impressive. Add to this lots of close ups, strange angles, free flowing camera movements and a nice color scheme, and we have a very good looking film. Acting is OK, most of the lead characters are a little bit bland. While the film does contain a nice amount of nudity, violence and gore it is perhaps a little more restrained than you might expect, except for a scene towards the end of the film where a woman has her arm chopped off with an axe, how much blood?! Having said that the murders are very well done, and Dario films them with style, like the rest of the film. Script wise, I liked the twists and turns but the reasons for some of them didn't make much sense. And one or two bits stray into silly horror film cliché, like the dog attacking the girl, my least favorite sequence in the film. Overall a very good horror mystery. Make sure you listen and pay attention otherwise you may miss some vital plot points, like it appears some of the people who have reviewed it on Flixster did. One negative would be that once you have watch tenebrae once I don't think many people would be interested in watching it again, as once all the twists are revealed it loses its mystery and impact a little. Certainly worth a rent, recommended.

    The negative aspect of the film is the same with all of Argento's work. Its really rather dumb. The story and situations are never once believable. Despite being one of Argento's more compelling stories in a film, its still pretty far fetched. Many of the sequences, despite being frightening, are completely implausible when thought of, which definitely lessens the initial shock (the dog chase sticks out in particular). Also, there's not a single interesting or sympathetic character here, which is needed to make the deaths more effective. The acting, outside of the always enthusiastic and watchable John Saxon (who should have gotten the lead role instead of a small supporting one), is very wooden. Apparently Anthony Franciosa was drunk throughout filming and it shows.

    Despite all this, the film is still very suspenseful and moves at a quick pace. One other aspect that I really enjoyed about "Tenebre" was the seemingly self-referential moments. The critics of the main character (who is an author) accuse him of misogyny or attempt to read into subtexts of his work which he knows simply don't exist, both of which Argento went through. "Tenebre" is recommended if far from perfect.
  • animegirlaya
    April 2, 2011
    animegirlaya
    Directed by Dario Argento and starring Anthony Franciosa, Christian Borromeo, Mirella D'Angelo, Veronica Lario, Ania Pieroni and Eva Robin's.

    Dario Argento's surprisingly underrated film that was hated by critics in the early 80s in a cut version under the title of Unsane. To... read moreday some critics hail this as the best movie he ever wrote or made, Personally my favourite by Dario and one of my top 5 is Deep Red by far.
    But Tenebrae deals with many emotional themes unlike so of his other films including the horror of dealing with your own personality and explaining your existence and will to live. It's start of as your regular stalk and slash movie like any low grade slasher but then turns into something that nightmares couldn't even hold.

    Peter Neal is a famous American writer promoting his new book Tenebrae that has just become a bestseller in Italy. Before his arrival a shoplifter is murdered in her home by an unseen assailant with a razor and stuffs the books pages in her mouth. During his stay two lesbians are killed in their home in the same way as the shoplifter and so on.
    The Killer claims to be "cleansing the streets"-Page 106 Tebebrae. Peter Neal suspects the killer is the new station agent or his best friend that works over there...But in your judgment who is the killer?

    [IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/1zqpj4o.jpg[/IMG]

    Before making this film Dario says that a fan stalked him and left death threats on his phone and after this incident it became the basic plot for Tenebrae.

    90% for story: I showed Tenebrae to one of my friends who is into Mystery books and films and so on and it became a favourite of hers easy, Its compelling and gripping and the ending is a big WTF. Though you need to watch this more than once to understand it and the Themes that imply with the film.

    95% for characters: to understand who our killer is you need to view this film in a whole direction then just looking but listen and keep your ears open to what they say and watch what they do, Another plus for the dialogue that fits so well with all this stuff. Some of the characters are pretty disturbing if you understand there back story's and there bridge to sexuality.

    80% for acting: Not always good John Saxon shows us he can still act and along with Anthony Franciosa who plays our main lead. Nothing to brilliant but also some exceptionally good dialogue that's not to complex to understand.

    87% for special effects: They look a bit outdate but they still hold up a good and I won't argue with the result, and also the film had the world's longest tracking scene until the children of men.

    90% for everything else: If you like these kinds of movies Tenebrae is a clear example of creative mystery movie.

    By the end Tenebrae is essential viewing for any fan of mystery films or Giallo's in general. BTW my friend guessed the ending by the middle of the movie because she is so good at these kinds of films. And she listens closely to the dialogue being said.

    Keiko's score 89-100.

    BBFC Rating-18 (Edited version)(Banned from 1984-2003)
    Eirin Rating-R-15 (Uncut)
  • ajv2688
    January 25, 2011
    ajv2688
    A great mystery horror movie, with brilliant twists and turns. I think some of the actor's could have done a better job, but it's not distracting or anything like that. This movie is really awesome visually, as Argento's movies usually are. If you like Argento's work, you'll l... read moreike this movie. I highly recommend it.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 8, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Tenebre is another solid work of horrifying genius from horror maestro Dario Argento. After Inferno, his fans wanted him to get back to what put him on the map, the giallo Italian horror genre. He already dealt with supernatural horror with Suspiria and Inferno, and Argento wante... read mored to finish his three mother trilogy, but waited instead. He locked himself away and wrote Tenebre a fine return to form and one of his best films since Suspiria. However this film is no Deep Red, it comes close. The story and acting are top notch, and you have everything you'd expect from a Dario Argento film. Tenebre is a solid film and is a fine return to what Argento did before Suspiria, not saying that Suspiria was bad, in fact it was a masterpiece of horror, but this is still a solid film in the vein of Deep Red and is great to see Argento do a similar film after he dealt within the supernatural horror genre.
  • SirPant
    November 25, 2009
    SirPant
    Apart from the predictable ending (or was it?) this is one of Argento's best. It's certainly one of his more commercial films, although it was banned for a long time but I think that helped with its notoriety in the end. I love it and I can't get enough of its classic giallo styl... read moree. He did it beautifully in the 70's and continued brilliantly in the 80's, challenging censorship and making fucking good cinema. Recommended!
  • ythelastman89
    November 17, 2009
    ythelastman89
    This is one of my favorites from Dario Argento. It's such a perfect horror movie. It's got some great brutal death scenes and a great suspenseful plot that keeps you guessing until the end. The style is amazing and some of the shots are just incredible. The amount of planning tha... read moret went into this was obvious, if only locking yourself away for three months could create genius like this all of the time.
  • bbcfloridabound
    December 26, 2008
    bbcfloridabound
    One of Dario Argento many films, this one came out in 1982. As with all Argento nothing short of spectacular. right from the beginning we see some graphic murder scenes, a knife to the neck and if that?s not enough, lets slash her throat. My copy came from the Mill Creek Drive in... read more Movie 50 pack, and you could tell it was a copy of a vhs tape as it had some imperfections in the showing, but for price I paid for the Mill Creek Collection, I can't complain. Get it and add it to the collection. Prepare for plenty of blood and get ready for a outstanding twist at the end.
  • RCCLBC
    October 22, 2008
    RCCLBC
    As a big fan of Argento, it's easy for me to ramble on about his films. But I'm also aware of the fact that not everyone enjoys them as much as I do, so I won't prattle on too much.

    But if you enjoy a good horror/thriller with lots of woman in perril, cheesy (yet oddly effect... read moreive) music and gallons of blood...then this is the film for you!
  • FilmFanatik
    January 29, 2008
    FilmFanatik
    Great slasher movie.

View All Tenebre (Unsane) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Steve Biodrowski
July 8, 2008
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique

The film synthesizes all the familiar Argento motifs (psycho killers, bloody violence, convoluted plot twists, pulse pounding music) into an almost perfect symphony of fear that overcomes many of his ... Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
May 29, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

In a way, it could be [Argento's] most personal film. Full Review

Felix Gonzalez Jr.
May 23, 2008
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review

Tenebre is possibly Argento's most overtly sexual film, and at the heart of it lies an all-too human fascination with sexuality in all of its desirable and frightening forms. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Unpleasant even by contemporary horror standards. Full Review

Matt Bailey
July 22, 2003
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Argento's most coherent film and one of his most shocking.

Christopher Null
April 20, 2003
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Gory but not particularly effective Argento horror flick, complete with his usual touches: secret villain, topless Italian beauties, and an overbearing organ score. Full Review

Rumsey Taylor
September 17, 2002
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Tenebre is nearer to body of Argento's filmography, and seems like an homage to his early gialli; in comparison it marks the extent of the director's progressive evolution. Tenebre is among Argento's ... Full Review

Ken Hanke
August 22, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Not the director's best

Dennis Schwartz
March 14, 2002
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

If it looks like trash and smells like trash and photographs like trash, then it probably is trash. Full Review

Ed Gonzalez
December 4, 2001
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

Tenebre is a brilliant piece of self-reflexive cinema. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Final Destination 3
    Final Destination 3 (100%)
  • Apocalypse Domani (Cannibal Apocalypse)
    Apocalypse Domani (Cannibal Apocalypse) (71%)
  • Inside (À l'intérieur)
    Inside (À l'intérieur) (100%)
  • Chi l'ha vista morire? (Who Saw Her Die?) (The Child)
    Chi l'ha vista morire? (Who Saw Her Die?) (Th... (0%)

More Movies like Tenebre (Unsane)

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Tenebre (Unsane) : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Tenebre (Unsane) Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Tenebre (Unsane) to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?