English jazz pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) lives in Italy. One night he watches from the street as a psychic, Helga Ulmann, is brutally murdered in her flat. He rushes inside, but is too late, and he cannot shake the feeling that a painting in the hallway changed in the moments after the murder.
Teaming up with reporter Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), Marcus starts his own investigation, which leads him to a haunted villa, a children's lullaby and a long-buried secret. Hemmings and Nicolodi have great, playful chemistry, and their arguments about men and women add unexpected humour.
Argento's camera glides through empty squares and creepy rooms, and the murders are staged like nightmares. Goblin's score, a mix of rock and eerie synths, drives every scene. The mechanical doll scene is one of the most shocking moments in horror.
The full Italian cut is long, and some investigation scenes drag. But the twist is brilliantly hidden, and on a second watch you will realise the answer was in front of you all along.
