Morality and Malevolence in Melodious Meld

Read Time:3 Minute, 4 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Goldsmith (L'orafo)
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Genre: Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director(s): Vincenzo Ricchiuto
Writer(s): Vincenzo Ricchiuto, Germano Tarricone
Cast: Stefania Casini, Giuseppe Pambieri, Gianluca Vannucci, Tania Bambaci, Mike Cimini
Where To Watch: slated for DVD and VOD/Streaming on October 12, 2023

RAVING REVIEW: Gather around, fellow cinephiles and casual movie-goers alike, for today, we embark on a journey into the seemingly serene yet profoundly perplexing world of THE GOLDSMITH. This movie seeks to tell a story and weave a psychological saga that submerges us into an abyss where morality intertwines unsettlingly with vengeance and unexpected malevolence. Now, shall we plunge into the peculiar narrative that's equally haunting and thrilling?

Director Vincenzo Ricchiuto delivers a film narrative where tranquility masks terror, revealing the curious case of an elderly couple, Antonio and Giovanna, becoming unwitting hosts. Portrayed chillingly subtly by Giuseppe Pambieri and Stefania Casini, they sketch a portrait of calmness, yet beneath it, there is more than we know. The home, a fortress of safety, transforms into an arena where innocence gets shattered and unexpected evil blossoms.

Now, what seemingly begins as a straightforward tale of a heist, with Arianna, Stefano, and Roberto (Tania Bambaci, Mike Cimini, and Gianluca Vannucci) orchestrating a caper, spirals into a psychological exploration of unexpected depths. Our trio, thinking they’re getting into an easy grab and go, then become entwined in a sinister trap set by those they sought to victimize. The premise dances delightfully between enigmatic and blatantly horrifying, proving Ricchiuto’s directorial ability to meld various emotional and genre-specific landscapes into a coherent and chilling odyssey.

Peering through the lens of Ricchiuto’s direction, the characters show a calculated delicacy, concealing and revealing motives and backstories with an elegant balance between keeping the audience both enticed and enshrouded in a purposeful haze. Though at moments, some may find the psychological ploys and plot twists veering slightly into the realms of vagueness or over-fabrication, this ambiguity, arguably, adds to the beguiling aura that wraps around the narrative, affording it an unpredictable charm.

Yes, the journey through THE GOLDSMITH might flirt with the conventional or predictability. Still, it firmly establishes itself as a significant expedition, not only through the traditional terrains of psychological horror and thrillers but also a profoundly introspective exploration of vengeance, morality, and latent evil.

THE GOLDSMITH gracefully weaves through the realms of horror and psychological thrillers, and it leaves us not only with an experience that's unsettlingly immersive but also with echoes of contemplation about morality, hostility, and the deeply seated dark capacities that lurk beneath the seemingly innocuous exteriors.

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[photo courtesy of CINEPHOBIA RELEASING]

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