Movie Review: Abrakadabra

Abrakadabra Movie Review by Matt Boiselle

Abrakadabra: directed by Luciano & Nicolas Onetti, written by Carlos Goitia, Luciano & Nicolas Onetti and starring German Baudino, Maria Eugenia Rigon & Clara Kovacic

Synopsis: A magician is stalked by a sadistic serial killer in this imaging of a 1970’s Giallo suspense thriller.

Argentinian brothers Luciano and Nicolas Onetti’s third Giallo synthesis, titled “Abrakadabra” definitely shows their admiration for the genre, showcasing all the looks and feels that made the stylistic was of presenting slasher horror back in the 70’s so profound and demonstrative. Following 2013’s “Sonno Profondo” and 2015’s “Francesca”, this presentation from 2018 takes viewers on a dizzying ride of thrills and suspense, with detailed and obviously crafted material within.

It’s 1951 in Turin, and a budding magician’s life is lost when a bullet-trick goes horribly awry, leaving his son (Baudino) to suffer years of PTSD and eventual alcoholism right up to where the film continues, some 30 years later. His career one night takes a sharp left turn when he’s investigated by the local police after a woman is found gruesomely murdered in the middle of his magic gear and equipment. As the days and nights turn over (with some rather intriguing relationship dynamics from Lorenzo himself), it becomes more clear that he is now being hunted by a maniac, hell-bent on making him suffer before taking his life. Where we’re left as an audience is directly in the middle of a whodunit that attempts to outpace itself in spots, and ultimately doesn’t flow as cohesively as it should, but the saving grace here are the looks and feels of how the film is offered up to the viewers.

Baudino earns the gold star here with his almost manic portrayal of a man haunted by the past and present, and he conveys it to perfection with both facial and body actions – I mean come on, would you be calm with a crazed killer behind your back at almost every turn? Another bonus here is the film’s score provided by Luciano Onetti – it serves as a nice accompaniment to the film and takes you back in a sense to the exhibitions of the 70’s. A blistering array of overblown colors and wonky camera angles deliver a hectic showcasing in support of the overall package. While “Abrakadabra” might not be the mainstream horror fans’ most tasty dish, but it still has some nifty tricks up its sleeve to entertain some picky eaters.

“Abrakadabra” is now finally streaming in the United States after many years – give it a watch.