Onirica is an interesting film. It's a fairly straight forward lower budget cat-and-mouse story; following a police inspector and a Dario Argento expert as they search for a serial killer who is murdering people using motifs from Argento films.
The film is largely excellently shot and is filled with moments that are direct homage to Argento's work. Some which are more subtle and use clever location selection, and some which are very overt. Naturally some parts work better than others - there's a Suspiria segment earlier on, which while using all the right colours, just misses the mark in terms of shot selection and framing, and feels a little bit like copied homework.
On the most part, the acting is great. Which is quite something, considering much of the cast are lesser known. The dialogue sometimes lets the film down a little; some references are laboured to excess, but I can understand why, given that not everyone watching this movie will be an Argento aficionado.
For a big Argento fan, it's good fun trying to pick out some of the more subtle referencing and hints, including a couple of characters who appear to have been cast and wardrobed (?) to mirror minor characters from some slightly lesser known films (like Four Flies on Grey Velvet). On the reverse though, if you aren't an Argento fan, I can imagine that at times Onirica might drag or frustrate.
Overall, it's an enjoyable film that's well put together and thought out, well acted and well shot. If you're a big Dario Argento fan you'll likely get more enjoyment from Onirica than the casual viewer.
The film is largely excellently shot and is filled with moments that are direct homage to Argento's work. Some which are more subtle and use clever location selection, and some which are very overt. Naturally some parts work better than others - there's a Suspiria segment earlier on, which while using all the right colours, just misses the mark in terms of shot selection and framing, and feels a little bit like copied homework.
On the most part, the acting is great. Which is quite something, considering much of the cast are lesser known. The dialogue sometimes lets the film down a little; some references are laboured to excess, but I can understand why, given that not everyone watching this movie will be an Argento aficionado.
For a big Argento fan, it's good fun trying to pick out some of the more subtle referencing and hints, including a couple of characters who appear to have been cast and wardrobed (?) to mirror minor characters from some slightly lesser known films (like Four Flies on Grey Velvet). On the reverse though, if you aren't an Argento fan, I can imagine that at times Onirica might drag or frustrate.
Overall, it's an enjoyable film that's well put together and thought out, well acted and well shot. If you're a big Dario Argento fan you'll likely get more enjoyment from Onirica than the casual viewer.