Deep Red (1975)

A musician witnesses the murder of a famous psychic, and then teams up with a fiesty reporter to find the killer while evading attempts on their lives by the unseen killer bent on keeping a dark secret buried.
Cast and Information
Directed By: Dario Argento
Written By: Dario Argento, Bernardino Zapponi
Starring: David Hemmings, Macha Méril, Giuliana Calandra, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Eros Pagni, Clara Calamai, Vittorio Fanfoni, Piero Mazzinghi, Aldo Bonamano, Glauco Mauri, Liana Del Balzo
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Horror, Mystery
AKAs: The Hatchet Murders, Profondo rosso
Country: Italy
Where to Stream
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Deep Red belongs to 42 collections
1. Psychotronic Film and Video Guides (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 40 stars)
2. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
3. Christmas (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 16 stars)
4. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 16 stars)
5. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 13 stars)
7. Giallo (collaborative: moderated by edkrak - 12 stars)
8. Public Domain (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 12 stars)
9. The Gentlemen's Guide To Midnight Cinema Podcast (collaborative: moderated by Coheed - 9 stars)
10. Ekşi Sinema "Alternatif" Top 250 (collaborative - 6 stars)
11. Slant Magazine's 100 Greatest Horror Films of All Time (collaborative: moderated by edsu - 5 stars)
12. Capsules, guest reviews, list candidates... (366weirdmovies) (collaborative: moderated by sesito71 - 4 stars)
13. Cinemascope (collaborative - 3 stars)
14. Goblin (collaborative: moderated by edkrak - 2 stars)
15. The Mammoth Book of Slasher Movies (book) (public: Ag0stoMesmer - 2 stars)
16. Eurohorror (collaborative: moderated by Shmendrek - 1 star)
17. Animal killing (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 1 star)
18. Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss (film documentary) (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 1 star)
19. Italian director (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 1 star)
20. Cinetheque (public: allegreller - 1 star)
21. Movies to See: Horror/Suspense (public: Lord Moe - 1 star)
22. DVD Collection (collaborative)
23. Arrow Video (collaborative: moderated by mattburgess)
24. Cinema Sewer (collaborative: moderated by mattburgess)
25. TSPDT 2016 new additions (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr)
26. Favorite Scores (public: Castroph)
27. Nepogledano (public: aney)
28. To Watch (public: normalchaos)
29. Owned (BD) (public: bizarre_eye)
30. Watched in 2011 (public: dgeiser13)
31. My DVD Collection (public: balseiros)
32. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 2 (public: PeaceAnarchy)
33. Owned (public: ribcage)
34. Mr. Hallenbeck's Blu-Ray Collection (public: MrHallenbeck)
35. Djross Italian feature films I've seen (public: djross)
36. Tom's Movies (public: tomwalsh)
37. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)
38. unheimlich (public: egebasaran)
39. C-1970 (public: cantahta)
40. Christmas horror (public: Gabriel_p)
41. The Horror Geek (public: BeeDub)
42. Blu-ray Collection (public: TripEuphoric)
Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
9 | ![]() |
BeeDub | 85 63rd |
A lot of good mixed with a lot of tedium. I still like Suspiria better.
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8 | ![]() |
BillyShears | 85 86th |
The Paul McCartney Fab Mystery Hour will be back after these messages!
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7 | ![]() |
Mentaculus | 80 73rd |
The gore, when it comes, is glorious and the story is justifiably hokey, because what really works is Argento's use of perspective - how reliable, really, is what we're seeing? It points to the uncertainty and (hidden?) depravity in all of us, which makes it awesome.
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7 | ![]() |
TimeCapsule | 74 73rd |
Beyond the reputation of Dario Argento, I've had very little exposure to his work outside of some clips from "Suspiria"(1977). However, I had gotten enough of a taste of Italian horror to expect a slow/dull/boring, atmospheric visual treat, that's light on the 'plot' and heavy on the, "wait...WTF?", and I pretty much got all of that, but in a uniquely entertaining and engaging way. However, thanks to the band "Goblin", I ended up rocking-out through a lot more murders than I was expecting.
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6 | ![]() |
TheDenizen | 85 91st |
Forget Suspiria, THIS is Dario Argento's masterpiece. It's about a British jazz pianist in Rome who witnesses the brutal cleaver murder of a psychic woman. He ends up as a suspect and teams up with a female journalist to unravel the crime and prove his innocence. Typical of Argento, this is a slow paced two hours of lush visuals (including a few nasty killings) that doesn't make a ton of sense, leading up to the final 5 minutes which explains everything and throws in a nice shocker.
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5 | ![]() |
Jasongirl67 | 80 87th |
I had a hard time getting into this one but once I got hooked I couldn't stop watching
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4 | ![]() |
terrymac | 85 93rd |
Predictably very stylish (seriously, some of that camerawork is a treat), and surprisingly coherent. So much to like about this, including some fine Goblin music. It felt more modern than I expected, perhaps it just seemed too thoughtfully composed for a mid-seventies slasher. A great entry in the giallo canon.
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4 | ![]() |
ribcage | 74 66th |
An engaging(until that search of the house) giallo that's not the ultra-classic I was led to believe, but by no means a disappointment to watch. Argento picks the boldest reds to enter, or even fill, the frame and it's awesome. As are his extreme roving close-ups, highlighting desktops and dolls and as floor level POV for the killer's approaching footsteps. The violence strikes fast, the gore done, well, tastefully if that makes sense.
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4 | ![]() |
backwardsuit | 90 97th |
Masterful & defining giallo with all the flair you expect from the genre and less of the narrative confusion. Acting is surprisingly solid & the story even makes sense. Kinda. The visual style with flowing camera & feverish color is unmistakable & score is simply brilliant. It's a rewarding & atmospheric mystery that very creatively digs into the themes of memory & perception. On a broad level it's also about gender and the relationship between art & psyche. Classic Argento but not for everyone.
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3 | ![]() |
MartinTeller | 76 58th |
From disturbing hidden paintings to maniacal robot children, every now and then Argento throws something really exciting at you. The acting is a mixed bag, with some truly horrible comic banter, but for the most part it's okay. The photographic style and visual imagery was impressive. The Goblin score is cheesy, but not in a profoundly detrimental way. Overall I didn't like it as much as Plumage (which this film is awfully similar to) but it hasn't dissuaded me from checking out more Argento.
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3 | ![]() |
cagedwisdom | 75 65th |
Its great moments are a bit too far between, but this is a solid, mostly exciting thriller. At its best fantastic, at its worst just a bit too boring.
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twincinema | 85 85th |
Your enjoyment of this film depends solely on how much you love lush, haunting cinematography over a narrative that makes sense. Argento is a master at creating an emotional reaction from the viewer, which is one of the things that makes films a special medium. It can be a barrage of images that, narratively, make no sense, but it still creates a great work. Did you know that, Criticker user? Bow down to my intelligence.
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KasperL | 90 97th |
I'm a giallo fan, and this ranks right at the top. For me, it's definitely Argento's best. His use of the POV-camera, as well as the audicious way in which he dared to set up the reveal of the killer, blew me away.
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3 | ![]() |
Luna6ix | 65 23rd |
Generally, I'm baffled by what seems like raves all around for Argento's movies, they suck. Period. This one had a whole thirty seconds at the end that were decent.
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3 | ![]() |
DavidBlast | 35 20th |
Giallo sure is different, but then again, compared to the Mona Lisa, so are the stick figures that my nephew can draw.
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2 | ![]() |
PeaceAnarchy | 89 92nd |
Damn fantastic use of the medium. The colour, the camera movement, the score, every aspect of the aesthetic composition is exactly as it should be to inspire a reaction from the audience. The content itself doesn't really merit 2 hours but it's a minor complaint and completely forgivable for such great presentation.
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nilkynarfy | 80 78th |
Argento's thesis and manifesto. I mean, Dario is clearly a leftist, anti-fascist, pro-gay artist; however, his films feature some of the most vicious misogyny ever committed to film. Oddly enough, though it is disgusting, seeing that misogyny expressed hyperrealistically allows us to see it, understand it, and hate it clearly, which is the power of Argento: he chooses to make ugly acts beautiful, so we can both loathe and appreciate him. Whatevs. It's a fucked up movie: best intro to giallo.
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2 | ![]() |
dsaos | 84 61st |
The bombastic soundtrack and use of color make this movie. It's a by-the-numbers type murder mystery, but man can Goblin rock a scene.
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muutanet | 90 96th |
The best Italian giallo slasher. Good mood masterfully created with Goblin's music. Mixes traditional contentions (man/woman). Rescreening did not change the score; maybe a bit ageing story. I did like the building where the killer used to live and wonder was it a set or a real thing. Extra close-up camera pan on toys was still stunning.
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Obdurate | 85 80th |
It took me a little while to see the film on its own terms. I think it can be mildly tedious at times but that isn't enough to seriously hurt this stylish slasher. The gore is effective, and it's most entertaining when death is happening. There are a few legitimately scary scenes but for the most part Argento approaches murder with glee here. Seriously, the ending is a perfect example of that. The music is odd but fits once you get past the hurdle of this being unconventional for the genre.
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2 | ![]() |
Neonman | 86 83rd |
The first Argento film I saw and it's a relatively standard mystery-suspense film (with buckets of stylised blood and gore, of course), but it's still really effective and it does feel like it's been a while since I saw a mystery film that actually had a conclusion (I blame Michael Haneke!)
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2 | ![]() |
graveyardtan | 80 57th |
Lots of visceral satisfaction to be found here, and a few legitimate scares, though nothing as nerve biting as the best Suspiria scenes. Deep Red is seeped in Hitchcock and Freudian lore, for better or for worse, in a way that almost out-Depalma's Depalma.
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Paxton | 70 63rd |
Heresy though it may be, I prefer The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. And I still prefer Suspiria to that.
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kito1 | 40 10th |
This lost me somewhere in its garbage story, acting and sound design.
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Moribunny | 58 48th |
Stoops to tedium here and there, and the ending is downright silly, but Argento's style has magic about it, Luigi Kuveiller's photography is great as ever, and even the silly bits have camp allure. Worthwhile.
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caiman | 84 75th |
One of the great giallos and Argento's second best film. It's not as stylish as Suspiria, but the story is superior and it has some equally inspired sequences (the creepy doll, for example), as well as some fantastic, cringe inducing gore effects.
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hehejaja | 90 91st |
Finally I got to see Argento's "masterpiece", and I guess I can remove the apostrophes. Elegant as few. The soundtrack and cinematography are the stars in this one, Argento is like a majestic painter with the camera... Irresistibly tough.
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Vandelay1 | 84 94th |
Nice
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Dean Franz | 79 76th |
Easily Argentos' best. Mirrors loads of classic horror and thriller films but has a style all its' own. Hemmings is pure cool.
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CRAYON | 85 64th |
Beautifully shot, great soundtrack, but I was a little bored whenever people weren't getting murdered.
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wetwillies | 90 80th |
"There's somebody in the house, absolutely trying to kill me, ya know?"
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Prismatic | 93 89th |
This movie is just too cool.
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overrated | 40 33rd |
The highlights are the music, the murders, and the random insertion of a Nighthawks backdrop. Everything else is yawn-inducing. From what I've seen Argento films are all about a handful of standout scenes rather than a good whole.
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britneeee | 50 10th |
As much as I love Dario Argento, I remember this being one of my least favorite of his films. It was so boring to me and I can't put my finger on why.
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maakal | 81 79th |
As perfect a 70s thriller as I could hope to see... the music, the tension, the hilarious gore, the evil child, the easy-to-follow plot which makes very little sense. A lot of humor, and very easy on the eyes.
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Calabria | 69 15th |
Style over content seems to be Argento's M.O.
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FlipWhitman | 70 49th |
Can we acknowledge how awful that red herring was?
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Amadeus | 65 20th |
Goblin's soundtrack is better than whole movie.
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hotsake | 73 81st |
This is by far the best and most entertaining Argento film I've seen, granted I've only seen four others. This was well acted and had a decent if somewhat nonsensical story. The biggest downside to this was the fact that it was about 30 minutes too long. The Goblin soundtrack, aside from one part, was really good and enhanced the film immensely.
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boriaj | 66 36th |
The gore scenes are well-done, but overall the film is somewhat longwinded and the plot is not entirely convincing. The soundtrack is very strange.
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thereeldeal | 90 96th |
It's a bizarre world when Suspiria's more popular than Deep Red. It may not have the intoxicating visual design of Argento's more successful thriller, but Deep Red overall comes out on top by giving more attention to the thing Suspiria neglected: its script. With an immediately psychologically interesting killer (and thus interesting mystery), great chemistry and banter between the two leads that can be surprisingly funny, and excellent creeping camerawork, Deep Red should be a classic thriller.
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JSchlansky | 86 87th |
Hot damn, teeth bashed on the fire place mantel will make you squirm. The score is badass. Cool-horror in pure form. Does anyone else think it looks like Trump reflected in the blood puddle on the poster?
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1 | ExcessStarch | 10 31st |
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one of his worst
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1 | Zangin | 70 61st |
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A great mystery. There were some beautifully suspenseful scenes and the ending was a really great twist. With that said though, the film ends way too suddenly after the killer's reveal and their isn't very much to the plot/characters outside of the mystery. I was also bothered by Goblin's prog rock score which although excellent is way too obtrusive and distracting (Suspiria's score strikes a much better balance).
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Average Percentile 65.39% from 1367 Ratings | ![]() |