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7.3
/10
332 Ratings

THE POSSESSED

La donna del lago

Directed by Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini
Italy, 1965
Mystery, Drama, Thriller, Crime
  • 8585 minutes

Synopsis

Depressed novelist Bernard sets off in search of his old flame, Tilde, a maid who works at a remote lakeside hotel. But arriving at the hotel, Bernard discovers Tilde has disappeared. Bernard begins investigating and soon uncovers familial secrets, perversion, madness, and murder.

Synopsis

Depressed novelist Bernard sets off in search of his old flame, Tilde, a maid who works at a remote lakeside hotel. But arriving at the hotel, Bernard discovers Tilde has disappeared. Bernard begins investigating and soon uncovers familial secrets, perversion, madness, and murder.

Our take

Building a bridge between noir and the then-nascent giallo genre, co-director Luigi Bazzoni’s innovative debut is an ominously atmospheric true-crime mystery. With liminal spaces reminiscent of Antonioni, The Possessed marries arthouse to grindhouse for a fevered tale of madness and murder.