Libido

Libido (1965) follows a man haunted by traumatic childhood memories as he returns to his family’s secluded villa with his fiancée. As eerie events unfold, he begins to question whether his father’s murderous impulses have taken hold of him—or if someone is driving him insane. This tense Italian giallo blends psychological horror, mystery, and sexual paranoia in a claustrophobic atmosphere of guilt and desire.

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  This chamber-piece marked the feature directing debut of giallo screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi. … The basic giallo tropes are duly incorporated, but the film is more concerned with character and mood for much of its running-time. The end result may seem a bit talky and tame by today’s standards, but it exudes a hypnotic atmosphere of its own and the film deserves to be seen by a wider audience.