SCREAMS FROM THE SWAMP (aka Grida Dalla Palude) *** Italy 2022 Dir: Lorenzo Lepori. 70 mins
Italian horror has always been one of my favourite types of films to watch and although the so called glory (or gory) days of the 1970s and 1980s Italian horror boom is long behind us, it would seem that the same Italian passion is still there with Directors like Lorenzo Lepori (Flesh Contagium) (2020) and Alex Visani (Born Dead) (2021).
Written by Lorenzo Lepori (Catacomba) (2016) and Antonio Tentori (A Cat In The Brain) (1990) and Directed by Lepori, Screams From The Swamp is very dreamlike in the way it is shot with many times reminiscent of All The Colors Of The Dark (1972).
Simona Vannelli as Angela leads a small cast as she comes to terms with the death of her husband and son who had been in a car crash. Following the car crash, doctors attempted to save them but Angela questions whether they did everything they could to save them.
These doctors have now awoken a power in Angela as she turns to dark magic to bring those who left her alone with no family to justice.
As her revenge consumes her she welcomes the evil to help her bring peace to her heart and mind. Unworldly forces are unleashed and no man will stand in its way to do the job it has come to do.
With its pinkish colour palette in certain scenes and the way it is shot its clear the filmmakers had a clear vision in mind. Certain tracks in the films soundtrack by TV Crimes are very Simon Boswell-esque and they add an extra layer to the films dreamlike manner.
Overall, Screams From The Swamp is definitely a film that will get mixed reactions but there is no denying that we can all welcome some new masters of Italian horror into our hearts.
Review by Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins
SCREAMS FROM THE SWAMP (aka Grida Dalla Palude) is out now on Blu-ray in the USA from VIPCO and BayView Entertainment.