Name: A Classic Horror Story
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Released: 2021-07-01T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Matilda Lutz, Francesco Russo, Peppino Mazzotta, Will Merrick, Yuliia Sobol

The opening shot of A Classic Horror Story is a camper van careening off the road, a moment that should deliver immediate tension but instead feels oddly detached. Directed by Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli, this Italian horror film aims to subvert classic tropes, but its execution often misses the mark.

The premise—five strangers stranded in a forest near a sinister cabin—is familiar territory, but the film attempts to add layers of meta-commentary on horror conventions. The group discovers the cabin belongs to a cult that practices human sacrifice, a twist that initially adds intrigue. Matilda Lutz as Elisa and Francesco Russo as Fabrizio deliver competent performances, particularly in the scenes where their characters grapple with the horrors unfolding around them. The standout moment is when the group witnesses Mark (Will Merrick) being tortured and killed; the visceral brutality of this sequence is unflinching and effectively unsettling.

However, A Classic Horror Story stumbles in its narrative structure. The film’s pacing feels uneven, with long stretches of exposition and dialogue that slow down the momentum. The meta-commentary, which the filmmakers clearly intend to be a strength, often falls flat because it relies too heavily on the audience catching obscure horror references without sufficient payoff. The cult’s rituals and the deities Osso, Mastosso, and Carcagnosso are intriguing but underdeveloped, leaving their significance vague and their impact diluted.

The film’s attempt to play with genre expectations is commendable, but it suffers from being too self-aware at times. The surreal, Midsommar-esque cult sequences are visually striking, particularly the scenes of torture and sacrifice, which are shot with a raw intensity that lingers in the mind. However, these moments feel disjointed from the rest of the narrative, creating a patchwork effect rather than a cohesive whole.

The film’s climax, where Elisa is taken into a control room, hints at a deeper layer of commentary on horror as spectacle, but this thread is never fully explored or resolved. The revelation that Fabrizio has been working with the cult adds a twist, but it feels more like a narrative convenience than a well-developed betrayal.

A Classic Horror Story has moments of genuine terror and visual flair, but its ambition outstrips its execution. The film’s reliance on meta-commentary without sufficient substance leaves it feeling hollow in places.