Dark Glasses

Director - Dario Argento (Suspiria, Inferno)

Starring - Ilenia Pastorelli (Four to Dinner, All You Need is Crime), Asia Argento (Mother of Tears, Land of the Dead), and Andrea Gherpelli (Hidden Away, Black Arrow)

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

    Dario Argento is a filmmaker that I would absolutely call a master of horror. His career is legendary with many of his films being essential viewing for genre fans. My first Dario film, like many other horror fans, was Suspiria which is still one of my favorite films. He has released several amazing films in his career but some of his most recent efforts have been a bit underwhelming. While his Dracula 3D had some entertaining moments, it fell flat, and The Card Player is one that I’ve been unable to finish after several attempts. When I received the press release for his newest getting an exclusive Shudder release, I was skeptical. I was looking forward to a moody and stylish Argento film but was afraid that it would follow in his most recent flick’s footsteps. Regardless, the idea of watching a new Argento flick during my October horror binge really excited me so I decided to check it out. 

      The film follows a professional escort who has made a name for herself with her trade and good looks. However, after someone rams her car forcing her to crash head first into another vehicle blinding her and killing the two adults in the other vehicle. She learns to be sufficient on her own with the help of a coach and becomes friends with the little boy orphaned after his parents died in the crash that blinded her. He runs away from the orphanage and once the police start investigating her we learn that the man behind her horrific accident is still stalking her and killing anyone that gets near her before we learn who is doing the killing and why. 

      Dark Glasses is not a return to Argento’s full glory but god damn was it a great film. It was a violent and character driven film that does take us back to some of his work but it lacks the style and visuals that made so many of us fall in love with him to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fantastic film but is clearly not firing on all cylinders here like we would have hoped. The acting in this one is amazing. In fact, I believe this may be one of his best acted films to date which is really saying something when you take a look at all the amazing performances in his previous films including the one’s that didn’t go over well with fans. The casting is damn near perfect, the characters are written very well, and the cast knocks their performances out of the park. Argento’s cast really impressed me with this one. The story for this one feels like a return to the cliched giallo murder mystery style, but it doesn’t surprise the viewer. The film has a great pacing and the scenes were not bloated with unnecessary dialogue. I was expecting a little something more intriguing in regard to the killer and his reveal so I was a little disappointed with that but it’s not something that ruins the film for me. Finally, the film has several scenes with amazing and bloody practical effects that seriously caught me off guard. As the film first opened, I was under the impression all the time and focus was spent on the characters but I was pleasantly surprised by the fantastic effects and decent gore. Overall, Dark Glasses is the Argento we have been waiting for. It has an amazing cast, some great effects, and a story that is perfect for him. I did miss his trademark style and lighting but it was still fantastic as is. I highly suggest checking this one out.