Possessed camerawork, elliptical editing, and a discordantly playful score (by Ennio Morricone!) conspire against viewers and establish this as one of Argento's most suspenseful efforts.

There are a few scary moments in the dark. But then there's that image-on-the-retina gimmick, which we can't believe, and a conclusion that's so arbitrary we feel tricked.

As far as Argento films go, none come weirder than the little-seen Four Flies on Grey Velvet.

You can easily argue that giallo – on the whole – is inherently reactionary, a horror fantasy of what happens when old forces and values bloodily reassert themselves against those who err.