Rating:

What Have You Done to Solange? (or WHYDtS?) may be one of my favorite Giallo films I’ve ever seen. Not only is the film made extremely well, but the score is performed by none other than Ennio Morricone (the man behind some of the greatest Spaghetti western themes ever). This mystery has all the twists and turns that one could hope for, without all the generic mess that comes standard with many of the lesser Giallos. I can usually figure these things out near the beginning of the film, but I didn’t see that ending coming…at all.

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Enrico is the man. He’s a teacher by day…well…scratch that. He is able to slip time in during the days, as well as nights, to meet up with his students to “hang out”. The problem is his students are being picked off and the police are after him as their number one suspect. On top of this, his marriage is on the rocks and his wife is none-to-happy being pulled into the world of murder and suspicion. Not even the teachers in the school are what they seem. Enrico must race against the clock to understand the killer, and to find out who this “Solange” character is, before it’s too late.

 

If it sounds like there’s a lot going on just in that paragraph then you’re slightly prepared for the movie. Suspects come and go, and every person in the film seems to have some sort of suspicion about themselves. No one, not even the creepy neighbor, seems on the straight and narrow. Each suspect isgiven sufficient motive, and then some, before they’re dropped or dispatched. This brings us to the murders. While not super-gory, the murders are brutal enough in their cold-calculating ways that even people, like me, that watch decapitations and disembowelments on a daily basis, may have a little trouble keeping their eyes on the screen. Your mind will insert whatever isn’t shown, just a warning.

The acting was solid from everyone, but especially Enrico’s wife and the Inspector. Most of the girls were gorgeous. I found it funny that the blondes weren’t as good-looking as the brunettes. Maybe that’s personal preference, but the student from the beginning of the film was gorgeous. The cinematography, while not ground-breaking by any means, was solid and helped keep the film from looking like a cruddy, bottom-of-the-$5 bin at Wal-Mart collection. The sound was great, and I can’t say enough good things about the score. Just listen.

If I talk about this film anymore, I’ll start going into details and spoilers. If this were a regular exploitation film I would go into those, but what makes this film so great is that the viewer has almost no idea what is going to happen next. Netflix this puppy as fast as you can, if you’re a fan of Giallos, or just good, solid films in general. You’ll be glad that you did.