Film Title: Dark Glasses (Occhiali Neri / Black Glasses)
Cast: Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento, Andrea Zhang, Mario Pirrello
Director: Dario Argento
Writers: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Distribution: Shudder / Vision Distribution
Release Date: October 13, 2022 (Shudder) | Festival Premiere: July 30, 2022, Fantasia Film Festival Horror Highlight: Dark Glasses
Review by: Mother of Movies
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This review discusses key scenes, stylistic choices, and plot turns from Dark Glasses, but stops short of spelling out the ending. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll still be fine; but giallo purists who want zero foreknowledge may want to watch first.
Italian Giallo Full Throttle in Dark Glasses
Call me what you will, but I slid into Dark Glasses (aka Black Glasses / Occhiali Neri) without even knowing it was Dario Argento’s first film in a decade. Sometimes, going in blind (pun intended) is the best way to experience a movie, especially a giallo, where the absurd often waltzes hand-in-hand with the beautiful.
From my post-watch notes, I labelled this one cheesy, like a melodramatic daytime soap opera where the acting occasionally vaults over the top, but always lands in just the right place. The plot pivots illogically, characters make eyebrow-raising decisions, and yet… It’s fun. It’s messy, but it’s Argento messy.
Synths, Slashers & Soap Opera Energy
I have an aversion to heavy synth scores, yet somehow Dark Glasses won me over. Judging by early buzz, this was touted as a return to Argento’s Suspiria-era confidence, with enough visual and tonal callbacks to please his old-school fans.
The story follows Diana (Ilenia Pastorelli), a high-end sex worker who keeps her sunglasses on for both business and pleasure. The opening act comes with a throat-slashing murder and some beautifully still, clinical gore shots. Argento even plays with the camera in odd ways, at one point, following Diana’s mouth into darkness during a conversation with a client. It’s strange, it’s indulgent, it’s completely in his wheelhouse.
The Plot: Blind Survival in True Argento Fashion
After surviving an attempted murder by a maniac dubbed The Cellist, Diana is involved in a car crash that leaves her blind. She gains a seeing-eye dog, though it feels suspiciously like it’s been trained for more than just guiding. At an orphanage, she meets Chin (Andrea Zhang), the only other survivor of the crash besides his mother, who’s in a coma.
From there, the film dips into pulpy absurdity: snake attacks in swampland, frantic chases, and a finale that feels like Cujo and Old Yeller decided to fuse into one fever dream. The killer’s identity is revealed well before the end, but by then you’re not in it for the mystery; you’re here for the ride.
Argento’s Style on Full Display
This isn’t Suspiria or Deep Red, but it’s unmistakably Argento, strong colour palettes, eccentric camera blocking, and a shameless embrace of giallo’s theatricality. Co-writer Franco Ferrini (who worked on Phenomena, Opera, and The Stendhal Syndrome) helps create a screenplay that’s both ridiculous and riveting.
The gore is restrained but effective, the pacing moves with deliberate swerves, and the performances, especially from Pastorelli and Zhang, hold the film together even when the script veers into camp.
Final Verdict
Whether you’re a long-time Argento devotee or a newcomer curious about giallo horror, Dark Glasses is a bizarre but charming entry point. It’s not flawless, but its blend of soap opera camp, tense beats, and eccentric visual flourishes makes it an oddly satisfying late-career return for the Master of Horror.
Dark Glasses is rated
4 Rita can train my dog anytime out of 5
Got a craving for more Italian horror? Add these titles to your watchlist: Bloodshot Heart 2020 / The Room 2021 / The Last to See Them 2019 / Fantasia Film Fest 2026 Line Up (“Her Private Hell”)
Argento’s Glorious, Gloriously Messy Return
Going in blind is the best way to experience Dark Glasses; and Dario Argento wouldn’t have it any other way. Cheesy, illogical, visually indulgent, and completely in his wheelhouse, this is a late-career giallo that earns its camp without apologising for a single frame of it.
Suggested Similar Films:
- Suspiria (1977) – Dario Argento’s witchy, neon-drenched classic.
- Tenebrae (1982) – Another Argento murder mystery with meta twists.
- Blind Woman’s Curse (1970) – Cult Japanese horror with a blind protagonist.
- Knife + Heart (2018) – A modern queer giallo with synth-heavy style.
Sunglasses Like Pit Vipers
This Giallo bloodbath by director Dario Argento was provided as a screener for review purposes by distributors.
Streaming Options
Why Dark Glasses is a Must-Watch for Argento Fans: After premiering at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival on July 30, Dark Glasses was released on Shudder on October 13, 2022, making it easily accessible for horror streaming devotees. It’s also streaming on MUBI.
Dark Glasses is streaming on:
“Cheesy, illogical, visually indulgent, and Argento wouldn’t have it any other way.”
— Mother of Movies
Dark Glasses Movie Review
Director: Dario Argento
Date Created: 2022-10-13 13:26
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