PG Score: 7/10
A Classic Horror Story is available on Netflix
Plot
Written and directed by Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli, A Classic Horror Story boasts satirical horror that does enough to entertain its audience. Starring Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz as Elisa and Francesco Russo as Fabrizio, the film follows a group of strangers who are using an RV rideshare through southern Italy. After dodging an animal carcass, the RV swerves off the road and smashes into a tree. Once everyone awakes, they discover they are in the middle of nowhere. Accompanying them is Riccardo (Peppino Mazzotta) and a couple, Sofia and Mark (Yuliia Sobol and Will Merrick) who are essentially cliché, but well-acted, characters. From here, they discover a scary ominous cabin, and we learn they are in the territory of some sort of creepy secret society.
Unapologetically Formulaic
The entirety of the 95-minute runtime is strung together by countless horror tropes, but this is not necessarily a negative as the movie embraces its identity. It certainly displays some aspects of the beloved meta-horror-comedy, Cabin in the Woods (2011) but with more of an arthouse horror feel. Some scenes have comedic and sardonic dialogue, while others have a truly eerie, effective presence.
By far, the biggest highlight is the cinematography from Emanuele Pasquet. There are a number of wonderfully framed and shot scenes, including some painted with glowing colors reminiscent of fellow Italian Director, Dario Argento. Graphic sequences are often shot very tightly and De Feo and Strippoli are not afraid to spill some marinara sauce, which adds a bit of brutality into the mix. The film is also accompanied by Massimiliano Michelli's excellent soundtrack which...shocker...sounds similar to many horror movie soundtracks from the last several decades.
Great for Horror Fans
Overall, A Classic Horror Story is a very fun watch that may play a little better with horror aficionados than viewers who are new to the genre.