‘For your eyes only’
The Goldsmith is a 2022 Italian horror thriller film about a trio of criminals who break into an elderly couple’s home to steal jewellery. However, the thieves soon have the most terrifying experience of their lives as they discover that some old people are anything but defenceless.
Directed by Vincenzo Ricchiuto from a screenplay co-written with Germano Tarricone. Executive produced by Antonio Guadalupi and Germano Tarricone.
The Almost Famous Production-Dea Film-Hurricane Studios co-production stars Stefania Casini, Giuseppe Pambieri, Tania Bambaci, Gianluca Vannucci, Stefano Fregni, Mike Cimini, Valentina Carbone, Matteo Silvestri, Andrea Porti, Antonio Cortese, Matthias Cavallo and Federico Graziani.
Plot:
Childhood friends and now desperate adult criminals, Stefano, Roberto and Arianna concoct a simple plan: break into an elderly couple’s home and find the valuables in the old man’s hidden jewellery workshop.
But not this night and not this house, as the doddering couple prove to be not nearly as helpless as they may seem. Underneath those wrinkles and elderly facades are two totally deranged killers, intent on greeting their new houseguests in their own way.
The would-be thieves soon find themselves locked in a soundproof room, about to become guinea pigs for the couple’s mad experiments. They broke in, but can they survive long enough to break out?
Reviews:
” …a visually polished foreign horror/thriller with some great writing and direction. It showcases a variety of really good shot choices, crisp sound design, and an impressive musical score. The film’s characters are all inherently watchable, even if by and large unlikeable in nature. In addition, the sequences of action work well, although I could’ve personally done with a little more in the way of the kills and subsequent special fx.” Adam the Movie God
You will never figure out where this is going and when it gets there, you will genuinely be quite puzzled. This is very much a film that starts at point A and ends around but ZZ, given the narrative shift. The Goldsmith veers into extremely gruesome territory and isn’t for the squeamish.” Bloody Flicks
“The performances are spot on and the writing is very good for the most part. The screenplay is structured well but a few tweaks could’ve really turned this into a must-see imaginative thriller. It’s just a shame that impatience got the better of director Vincenzo Ricchiuto (which is strange because the runtime is only 88 minutes) and the film instead ends up turning into a standard torture flick.” ★★★ The Fright Club
“What starts off as a criminal caper, sprinkled with some black comedy, morphs into a twisted horror. For me, this blend of the two doesn’t quite work, with the crime element much more effective than the culmination of the movie. Despite my thoughts on this, it does have some nice surprises up its sleeve… A refreshing change on the home invasion thrillers we’re used to seeing…” 7 out of 10, Horror Cult Films
“My favourite performance was that of Giovanna, the Goldsmith’s wife. She appeared to be a sweet elderly lady until the role reversal. Stefania Casini was excellent and had the comedic timing nailed, adding lightness and humour to a twisted tale […] Overall, this is a subtitled indie horror worth a watch.” ★★★ Horror Screams Video Vault
“I would have liked more backstory on The Goldsmith and his wife and what exactly they were hoping to accomplish […] There was just enough gore to satisfy this horror fan without being enough to make me cringe. Stefania Casini was equal parts terrifying and hilarious in her performance as the goldsmith’s wife and was my favorite part of the movie.” Well Worth a Read
Release:
Distributed by Minerva Pictures, The Goldsmith was released theatrically in the US by Cinephobia Releasing on October 3, 2023, with VOD and DVD releases on October 12th.
Trailer:
Original title:
L’orafo “The Goldsmith”
