Jul. 15, 2021|Italy|95 Min.|TV-MA
Genre: Horror
Description: “A Classic Horror Story” (2021) is an Italian horror film that blends elements from iconic genre staples like *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* and *Cabin in the Woods*. Directed by Roberto de Feo and Paolo Strippoli, the movie attempts to create a meta-commentary by weaving together recognizable scenes from classic and modern horror films. However, this approach of mixing and borrowing ends up producing mixed results.
The story follows a group of strangers traveling across southern Italy in a rundown RV. Among them are Elisa (Matilda Lutz), who is on her way to have an abortion; Sofia (Yulia Sobol) and Mark (Will Merrick), a couple planning to elope; Fabrizio (Francesco Russo), a film student driving to visit family in Calabria; and Ricardo (Peppino Mazzotta), a reserved doctor eager to reunite with his daughter. Their journey takes a dark turn when the RV crashes into an embankment at night, leaving them stranded in a desolate area with no cell service or road in sight.
A creepy, star-shaped house emerges in the middle of a barren field, surrounded by dense woodland. Though the house appears abandoned, the group soon realizes they are not alone—they are being watched and hunted. The film’s opening pays direct homage to *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*, but it quickly becomes clear that *A Classic Horror Story* is not a mere imitation, as it attempts to carve its own identity within the genre.
Overall, the film offers a mix of familiar horror tropes but struggles to fully deliver a compelling narrative.
Cast director: Roberto De Feo
Cast actor: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Francesco Russo, Peppino Mazzotta, Will Merrick, Yuliia Sobol, Alida Baldari Calabria, Cristina Donadio, Francesca Cavallin, Justin Alexander Korovkin
Original name: A Classic Horror Story