'Knife of Ice' marks the fourth and final collaboration between director Umberto Lenzi and actress Carroll Baker and yet again crafts a tight and classy giallo flick that is perhaps far more restrained than they're previous outings, yet still incredibly enjoyable with an intriguing central mystery and a solid amount of suspense.
The plot = Martha Caldwell (Carroll Baker) is left mute after witnessing the accidental deaths of her parents as a child. Now as an adult she heads off to lavish estate in the countryside with her cousin Jenny (Evelyn Stewart) and soon finds herself at the centre of a series of murders, which the police suspects are being committed by a killer belonging to a satanic cult.
The movie is beautifully shot with some excellent visuals and interesting set pieces. The slow build up of tension along with a strong psychological concept underlying it which gives this flick an unsettling vibe. The countryside villa provides a sinister atmosphere where at night provides some cool gothic tones. The acting was very good with Carroll Baker providing a sympathetic and fantastic performance as Martha.
The pacing could have done with some tweaks, like maybe adding some more murders to spice things up and the animal cruelty displayed on screen was very off-putting, but the direction by Umberto Lenzi is top-notch as always and does provide an interesting story with an unexpected climax that makes up for a lot of the movie's shortcomings.
Overall 'Knife of Ice' is a generally solid and entertaining thriller that is probably more for the fans of suspenseful mystery giallos rather than the bloody slasher types.
The plot = Martha Caldwell (Carroll Baker) is left mute after witnessing the accidental deaths of her parents as a child. Now as an adult she heads off to lavish estate in the countryside with her cousin Jenny (Evelyn Stewart) and soon finds herself at the centre of a series of murders, which the police suspects are being committed by a killer belonging to a satanic cult.
The movie is beautifully shot with some excellent visuals and interesting set pieces. The slow build up of tension along with a strong psychological concept underlying it which gives this flick an unsettling vibe. The countryside villa provides a sinister atmosphere where at night provides some cool gothic tones. The acting was very good with Carroll Baker providing a sympathetic and fantastic performance as Martha.
The pacing could have done with some tweaks, like maybe adding some more murders to spice things up and the animal cruelty displayed on screen was very off-putting, but the direction by Umberto Lenzi is top-notch as always and does provide an interesting story with an unexpected climax that makes up for a lot of the movie's shortcomings.
Overall 'Knife of Ice' is a generally solid and entertaining thriller that is probably more for the fans of suspenseful mystery giallos rather than the bloody slasher types.