Review of The Killer Is Still Among Us

This late arrival of the giallo sub genre is notorious for one simple but justified reason. It's NASTY! And we're not just talking "nasty" in terms of cheesy make-up effects, but the overall tone is truly sadistic and misogynistic! Although we're really only referring to one sequence in particular, it's more than sickening enough to last a lifetime. Sadly this reputation doesn't imply that "The Killer is still among us" is a good or even worthwhile viewing experience. Quite the contrary, it's easily the WORST giallo I've seen thus far and the complete lack of some rudimentary elements will surely disappoint the loyal fans of this wondrous sub genre. Camillo Teti's film takes its inspiration from a factual Italian serial killer case that took place in Florence but never got solved. If the murders were really committed as explicitly as displayed in the film, it's indeed rather disturbing & repulsive, but then there still isn't enough material to revolve an entire movie on. I'm personally intrigued by murder cases that really took place, but an open ending doesn't go well with the whole concept of a giallo. The search for the killer's identity is actually the whole point of a giallo, so the least Teti could have done was invent a fictional climax to close his film with. Now it's simply a series of vague clues and weak red herring that lead to nowhere at all and you just can't speak positive about such a film. The absence of closure unfortunately isn't the only problem, as the script contains numerous holes and severe improbabilities. There's a sick individual on the loose in Florence and his main target are young couples that make love in their cars on the forestry edge of town. An ambitious criminology student takes an interest in the case and hopes to dedicate her final thesis to the killings. So she starts her own private investigation that introduces her into a world of voyeurism and perverted maniacs. Even her brand new lover, who's an autopsy surgeon, behaves suspiciously and he never seems to be around when the murders occur. Another major flaw is that this girl seemingly is the only person who cares about the murders. There're never any policemen around and if she discovers something interesting, she goes to see her university professor instead of the nearest authorities. No wonder the case never got solved. Frankly, the film is painfully boring until that one horrible moment comes into the picture. The killer cuts open the tent of a young couple, promptly kills them and then sadistically mutilates the dead girl's genitalia. It's really sick, hard to stomach and incredibly gratuitous. Yuck!