Four Flies on Grey Velvet has maybe one of the more pretentious names among the movies I have seen. With that said, this hidden gem is considered by many people as one of the better Dario Argento movies that almost became a lost film. But an exciting history does not necessarily make a good movie. So let’s dive into this murder-mystery thriller and find out if it is gold or overhyped hipster garbage!
A cool 70s drummer accidentally kills a man that has been stalking him for a while. As the cool dude he is, he brushes it off and continues on with life. That is until pictures of the murder start showing up, IN HIS HOUSE! Suddenly people around him start dying one by one and he has to find out who is the real killer, and quickly! The plot is a good one and it keeps you guessing and second-guessing who the murderer might be. It’s a hard feat to accomplish but Four Flies on Grey Velvet manages to do it extremely well.
The cinematography, choice of music, and general visuals are all very striking and well-polished. The movie still holds up today both visually and story-wise. The acting is top-notch albeit the audio mixing can make some of the dialogue muddled at times. If I am to give any form of criticism it is the mixing, it is all over the place with random tin-can audio and random snaps and crackles. I am not sure if it is a bad version I have of the movie or if it is like this because of the lost media debacle. With that said, it is a small thing to obsess over and I find myself still managing the get caught up in the mystery.
It is a bit rare that I review mystery thrillers during Spooktober. But this is one of those cases where the movie is just too good not to shout out. Find yourself a copy and get watching it today. As of this publishing, it is available on Plex for free so you have no excuse!
