La Bête tue de sang-froid

La réponse italienne au succès américain "The Last House on the Left" de Craven. Et au moins deux années-lumière de mieux. Le maître Aldo Lado est certes aussi sadique et cruel, mais la violence dans sa présentation et dans le contexte de l'intrigue n'est pas aussi bon marché et gratuite. Les personnages sont plus développés, les questions éthiques (les parents ont-ils le droit de tuer le meurtrier de leur enfant ?) sont plus pertinentes et l'aspect formel est plus sophistiqué. Le rythme lent initial commence doucement à s'intensifier, passe par des retournements inattendus et des chocs, et mène à un finale qui coupe le souffle. Bravo ! (07/01/2005)

A technically better executed Last House on the Left. The beginning is incredibly slow, but things start to get interesting on the night train. The abuse here is not exaggerated, it feels real and it’s quite strong as a result. I can take physical torture on screen, the problems begin when I have to watch fifteen minutes of psychological abuse. Really, I won’t watch this film again, I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it still deserves at least three stars. (29/10/2008)

The New House on the Left is among Italian films that aren't directly within the giallo genre. It's quite good because it shows that Italians could look at horror from a different perspective, a strongly realistic, almost naturalistic view. However, in this case, there's one significant flaw - The New House on the Left is simply unoriginal for its time. The message is still strong, but it's a pity the film didn't come four years earlier. (31/01/2015)