Paranoia

1969 [ITALIAN]

Action / Drama / Romance / Thriller

7
IMDb Rating 6.0/10 10 2027 2K

widow paranoia whodunit exhibitionist

Plot summary

Following the death of her wealthy husband, American widow Kathryn West migrates to Italy and takes up a reclusive existence in a luxurious villa. After quickly succumbing to the charms of a local man, she lets him move into the villa and the two are later joined by his sister, which soon leads to complications.

Director

Umberto Lenzi Photo
Umberto Lenzi

Top cast

Lilla Brignone Photo
Lilla Brignone as Teresa
Carroll Baker Photo
Carroll Baker as Kathryn West
Franco Pesce Photo
Franco Pesce as Martino
Tino Carraro Photo
Tino Carraro as Brian Sanders
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
836.34 MB
1280*544
Italian 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 30 min
Seeds ...
1.52 GB
1920*816
Italian 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 30 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Milk_Tray_Guy 6 / 10

More psychological thriller than giallo

This Italian/French co-production was the first of four collaborations between Hollywood star Carroll Baker (Baby Doll) and director Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox), and gave Baker a second chance at stardom after work had begun to dry up stateside. Here she plays Catherine, an American widow whose oil tycoon husband has recently died in a road accident (leaving her $200 million richer). She decides to relocate to Italy, where she meets a younger man named Peter (Lou Castel), also an American. The two soon become lovers. Their relationship is volatile but passionate and Peter moves into Catherine's luxurious villa. A short while later Catherine is surprised by the arrival of Peter's attractive sister, Eva (Colette Descombes). However, she likes having the youngsters around and Eva moves into the villa as well. But the initial fun turns into a physically and sexually abusive three-way relationship, one that sees Catherine's existing drink problem compounded by a forced addiction to drugs. Realising she is now a prisoner in her own home she tries to retake control of her life and escape.This is often referred to as a giallo, although it doesn't really fit the term as we use it today (there's no mysterious, faceless stalker, no bloody injury, no string of people being bumped-off - in fact there are no deaths at all until well into the third act). It's better watched as a psychological thriller. The performances of the three leads (plus Tino Carraro as Catherine's lawyer) are all good, but the story is pretty unoriginal. It also paints Catherine as pretty annoying, even unpleasant at times, leaving it hard to care what happens to her. Credit though for an double-whammy ending that I never saw coming. Some topless and rear nudity and very softcore sex. 6/10.
Reviewed by richlandwoman 7 / 10

Entertaining, with Above Average Conclusion

While watching this well-paced film in Italian with subtitles (1 hour 33 minutes), I thought more than once, "It's keeping my attention, but unless it's got a strong ending, the whole thing's going to seem pretty pointless." Fortunately, the last five minutes or so are excellent, with at least three twists, two of which I didn't see coming. (I did, very late, guess the third twist, because I'd seen the ending of a certain mid-'70s Peter Fonda movie.)I also watched part of the American version, which, although 2 minutes shorter, seemed to have significantly more nudity (and actually began with a "This picture has been rated X" card). Of course, today, it would be, at most, a very mild R.
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