Seemingly out of nowhere, Netflix released A Classic Horror Story in July, a new horror film directed by Italian filmmakers Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli. The film stars Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, known for her leading roles in Shudder’s Revenge and Rings, as well as Francesco Russo, Peppino Mazzotta, Will Merrick, and Yuliia Sobol.
A Classic Horror Story follows five carpoolers using an RV in an Uber-like situation to reach their destinations. The driver, Fabrizio (Francesco Russo), has agreed to take the newly pregnant Elisa (Matiilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) to her mother’s home. Meanwhile, Ricardo (Peppino Mazzotta) is going to reunite with his daughter, and the couple, Mark (Will Merrick) and Sofia (Yuliia Sobol), are trying to get to a wedding.
During the long drive and a few beers, Mark decides to take over the driving from an unwilling Fabrizio. Mark starts to fall asleep at the wheel and then smashes the RV into a tree, trying to avoid an animal carcass in the road. The entire group is knocked out and wakes up in their RV in the center of a clearing surrounded by the forest, with only a small cabin in sight.
When they realize their RV had been moved while unconscious, they enter the cabin looking for help, only to find signs that they’ve been abducted by a cult that ritualistically worships the three deities of Osso, Mastrosso, and Carcagnosso. The group finds a girl in the attic, captured and cocooned in the hay, and must find a way to escape the area before the cult members return to sacrifice the group to their gods.
I enjoyed the setup for this film. I’d never heard of carpooling like this (it doesn’t happen much in America), but it was a great way to get five strangers in the same place without shoehorning in a random explanation. Having characters with no real connections to each other worked wonders for their on-screen chemistry, as they couldn’t emotionally trust or rely on one another.
Thematically, this was a great mix of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, and Midsommar, though, at some points, it leaned on those films a little too heavily. Isolation is the core of the film’s scariness, as it throws all familiarity out the window, and the directors executed this brilliantly. I’m also a nut for folklore, so the human sacrifice cult stuff had me interested.
There is a massive twist in A Classic Horror Story that hit me out of left field. I won’t go into it for spoiler reasons, but it hit me so hard that initially, I was skeptical. After sitting on it, I feel it’s unique and works, though it may not be for everyone. It takes a lot of guts to reveal a moment like that, and it paid off.
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The acting was mostly excellent. Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz is on her way to being a Scream Queen. She shined in Revenge and was fantastic in this. Some of the other actors’ reactions to the absolute brutality and craziness that they are put through sometimes didn’t seem realistic, but honestly, I’m nitpicking.
I was surprised by the lack of gore, or at least the inconsistency. Several shots that would have been crazy to watch ended with cutaways, while others were shown in full. I’m not sure of the reasoning behind this, but it was a little disappointing considering the type of film this was and the types of films it clearly drew inspiration from. Plus, it’s an Italian horror film. Show it all to me, even the eye stuff!
I was also extremely pleased with the camera work, sets, and costume designs. The cultists had masks made of gnarled wood with body parts fastened to them, and part of their “chanting” was this incredibly creepy clicking sound. It gives me goosebumps just writing about it.
The atmosphere plays strong in this film, from ritualistic paintings to cocoons made of hay to just the all-around creepiness of the cabin. It all works in this film’s favor.
I enjoyed A Classic Horror Story immensely. It was a nice surprise, considering I hadn’t heard of it before the release. I want to check out some other films by these directors, and now have an eye out for their future endeavors. I recommend checking it out. Don’t be afraid of subtitles!
A Classic Horror Story is now streaming on Netflix.
