Luigi Cozzi, better known for his fantasy and sci-fi films of the 1980s, made his initial mark on the world of cinema with the The Killer Must Kill Again, a unique Giallo that breaks some of the most important rules of the genre and yet remains true to the spirit of the films that inspired it.

 

 

Instead of the normal genre tropes which typically include a stalking-and-slashing mystery killer and fumbling police investigation, Cozi's film focuses its attention on establishing an extremely suspenseful mood as the viewer is launched, quite involuntarily, into the series of events that begin with the murder of Norma and end with the capture of Giorgio. Along the way Cozzi introduces just enough characters to invest your emotion into and exploits the viewer's dilemma of who to root for. 

 

 

Throwing caution to the wind, Cozzi reveals the killer within the first ten minutes of the film. This fact alone might be enough to exclude the film from the Giallo canon, but Cozzi easily convinces the viewer that there's more mystery to come. In fact, one might argue that the true mystery of the film is the final outcome of the killer and his armchair accomplice, Giorgio. But beyond the mystery aspect of the film, The Killer Must Kill Again just feels like a Giallo with its artistic camera angles, lush soundtrack and some very well-designed juxtaposition scenes.

 

 

Nevertheless the film did not score well here, missing out on a whopping 40 points within the Staples section and only scoring one point within the Signatures. But don't let the score fool you. The Killer Must Kill Again is a very entertaining film that challenges the conventions of the Giallo and deserves serious consideration as one of the unique gems of the genre, and possibly the only Giallo whose ending can't really be spoiled!