Giallo is back. However, as Dario Argento’s complete balls up, Giallo (2009), proved, reviving the genre is trickier than it looks. Amer (2009) touched on elements of the classic Italian genre but was essentially doing its own thing. Tulpa, on the other hand, is pure giallo.
For the uninformed, giallo began life as a genre of literature before infiltrating the world of film. For western audiences, giallo is pretty much a style of Italian thriller, walking a line between crime thriller and murder mystery and always adopting a flamboyant visual style. In short: black-gloved killers, lots of flesh, elaborate killings and an ostentatious soundtrack.
But the giallo also comes with baggage, including ropey acting, terrible dialogue and god-awful dubbing. As charming, stylish and revered as this genre is, how can a modern day director capture the pure essence of the giallo while making sure they incorporate everything that makes it what it is, warts and all?
Tulpa stars the stunning Claudia Gerini as Lisa, a spunky businesswoman by day and sultry sex club regular at night. As Lisa’s sensual night-time shenanigans open up a whole new exciting world, her life is eventually put in danger when those she has slept with become victims of a grisly murder. Not wanting to go to the police and expose her sordid lifestyle, Lisa decides to try and unmask the serial killer herself.
Throwing caution to the wind, Zampaglione goes for the no-nonsense approach, crafting a giallo that could easily be mistaken from something straight out of the 60s or 70s. While the plot makes a half-arsed attempt to bring the genre up to date, everything about Zampaglione’s film feels retro and embraces that giallo style over substance pizzazz that we all know and love. The murders are stylish, bloody and over the top, the music otherworldly and as subtle as a sledgehammer and the aforementioned script, dubbing and performance issues are all present and accounted for.
While this gory and gaudy spectacle might not be everyone’s cup of tea (indeed, Tulpa unintentionally prompted giggles throughout its recent world premiere at Frightfest), giallo fans and those hankering from some classic Argento-esque panache, Tulpa provides a weird and wonderful ride into some beautifully absurd territory.
Overall Verdict: Giallo is back and it’s just as daft, absurd and beautiful as it ever was.
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths