I rarely skip the chance to check out a Giallo film. I saw Italian, Giallo, and 1970s, and I was sold! So, I skipped the premise and dove into Pupi Avanti’s The House With Laughing Windows blindly. I was treated to an engaging mystery that would satisfy most Giallo fans, and a shocking reveal that will tattoo itself onto your brain. Unfortunately, the pacing made the film feel like a chore at times. It’s also missing the color, drama, and fashion I usually expect from Italian films. Still, The House With Laughing Windows delivers on dread, mystery, and plenty of suspicious characters. It’s worth a watch if you are a fan of the sub-genre. We follow Stefano (Lino Capolicchio), who is commissioned to restore a mural in a small village. A mysterious stranger warns Stefano to stay away from the painting as bodies begin piling up.
Okay, Stefano!
The biggest draw of this film is the mystery behind the painting. As Stefano begins his work, he learns about the artist, Buono Legani (Tonino Corazzari), and his dark history. The lore was brutal enough to make me lean forward in my seat. It was said that Legani committed murders with his sisters (a family affair), and the photos were based on those murders. Even more concerning, Stefano is staying in the home previously owned by Legani’s sisters. He begins receiving calls warning him to leave the painting alone and to skip town. He ignores the warning (otherwise, we wouldn’t have a movie) and investigates the legend. The lore is interesting to follow, but the pacing makes it difficult to stay engaged. There aren’t any velvet walls or fly outfits to distract the audience. Still, the reveal makes the runtime worth hanging on to see what happens.
Bodies and Breadcrumbs
The House With Laughing Windows kept me guessing by slowly dropping ambiguous breadcrumbs. I wasn’t sure who the killer was, and there were scenes that made me consider supernatural possibilities. I loved that the lore was complex enough to support multiple theories before the reveal. In true Giallo fashion, nearly every character introduced seemed guilty; then they ended up dead. While there isn’t much gore, the film does use the location to its advantage. The small village can seem empty at times. It’s like Stefano is walking through a physical past full of secrets and death. Many of the buildings are old, leaning into the Gothic horror elements: old dark houses, creaks in the night, and ghostly voices.
Is It Worth It?
I wish the main character was more interesting to watch. We spend the majority of the film following Stefano as he chases clues (instead of getting out of town). He’s dedicated to finding the truth, but he doesn’t have much charisma. There are many scenes with him making extended eye contact with other characters. Stefano even seems as if he is in a trance at times. However, we never get definite proof of a possession or supernatural influence controlling him. The script gives him a love interest, Francesca (Francesca Marciano), but I wasn’t interested in their relationship. If anything, I wanted her to free herself from Stefano. He might be great at restoring paintings, but he’s a terrible boyfriend.
There’s plenty to appreciate about The House With Laughing Windows, but it’s not for everybody. The slow pacing might make some viewers tap out. It doesn’t have the color one would expect from a typical Giallo film, although color (and syphilis) is mentioned often. If you like Gothic horror and Giallo, it’s a decent mix of the two. Plus, the reveal is deliciously macabre. I’d rank The House With Laughing Windows 3 out of 5 stars.
