The flashy and gutsy Italian horror genre, Giallo, is freaky and fantastical. A subgenre of horror based on Italian pulp fiction, Giallo films typically depict gruesome murders in macabre high fashion. Giallo seeks to show the beauty in death or the fear of it. These frightening flicks typically follow beautiful women spiraling into hysteria from being tormented by a gloved killer, or the figments in their own mind. While other Giallo films follow a male detective or pair of investigators seeking to solve heinous crimes.

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A common theme in Giallo includes feminism through the male gaze in horror. Most Giallo protagonists are women who believe in their gut instinct but are always told they're wrong or a deep desire for something they can't have or understand. From Dario Argento's classic golden era to the genre's inspirations on modern film, Giallo is a classic genre no horror fans should skip out on.

10 The Girl Who Knew Too Much

Mario Bava's 1963 classic is said to be the inception of Giallo as a film genre. Following a young woman who witnesses a murder, it's a visual feast with a plot that keeps spiraling as the body is never found. Part crime mystery and part psychological thriller, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is widely considered the first Giallo film by historians.

9 Deep Red

Considered to be the hallmark of Giallo films is Dario Argento's 1975 movie Deep Red. Unlike The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Deep Red follows a male musician who seeks to uncover a string of murder mysteries. With tons of gore, glamour, and hatchets, Deep Red is a bloody masterpiece that encapsulates much of what the genre stands for.

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Featuring many sequences that inspire modern-day horror directors, Deep Red is a must-see for any horror lover.

8 The Love Witch

Anna Biller's 2016 multi-genre sensation, The Love Witch, is not necessarily Giallo, but more of a reverse Giallo. Rather than following a woman on the verge, it follows an aloof and charming woman who is the killer. Taking visual inspiration from Giallo and other glitzy technicolor films of the '60s and '70s. With most if not all Giallo being directed and written by men, The Love Witch is a good palette cleanser for those looking for a similar film but from the female gaze.

7 The Vanity Serum

One of the only recent entries on this list is the 2004 film The Vanity Serum directed by Alex Infascelli. Two detectives search for a murderer who has taken out famous television personalities one by one and get lost in the strange and delirious world of the entertainment industry. Featuring a female detective, this film combines the two typical protagonists of Giallo into one.

6 Suspiria

Considered Dario Argento's departure from Giallo, Suspiria still retains many of the defining elements of the genre but with a supernatural twist. The film follows a ballet student at a prestigious dance academy whose dancers keep disappearing. Believing something supernatural is occurring, the protagonist spirals into a colorful world of mystery and witchcraft.

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Argento's 1977 classic was recently remade in 2018 by Luca Guadagnino starring Dakota Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz. The film follows the same basic plot but reels in Argento's original story to be more palatable and gory.

5 A Quiet Place In The Country

Elio Petri's 1968 thriller follows an artist who has relocated to a scenic, rural villa in the Italian countryside. Wanting a quieter life, the artist gets anything but as he's bombarded with supernatural events that torment him through the day and night. A visually enticing film, it leaves viewers scratching their heads in all the right ways as, like many Giallo films, not everything makes sense in the end. But that's the beauty of Giallo.

4 Murder Obsession

An over-the-top 1981 flick by Riccardo Freda, Murder Obsession plays with conventions of the Giallo genre while going above and beyond to outdo said conventions. The film follows an actor whose murderous past may be catching up to him as everyone on his weekend trip with the cast and crew of his latest film starts getting picked off one by one.

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While not meeting the standards of contemporary viewers at the time, retrospective takes on the film consider it to be Freda's best.

3 Tenebrae

Considered Dario Argento's best and most successful film is the 1982 thriller, Tenebrae. A mystery author visits Rome to draw inspiration for his new novel but becomes embroiled in a series of murders possibly inspired by his own writing. The film was originally released in the US heavily cut under the title Unsane, but the original is much better and worth searching for.

2 What Have You Done To Solange?

A violent schoolhouse murder mystery, What Have You Done To Solange? by Massimo Dallamano is a 1972 classic. A series of murders at an all-girls school spirals into a bloodbath. The film is a critique of the exploitation of young women and is part of a series of films following similar plots and themes.

1 Blood And Black Lace

Mario Bava not only defined the genre but also perfected it with Blood and Black Lace in 1964. The film sets up genre-defining symbols such as a masked and gloved killer, extreme violence, and stunning visuals. Contemporary reactions were few and far between and gained traction as time went on. Now Bava's film is highly regarded as a classic and must-see for lovers of the genre.

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