Caught between the truth and a murderer's hand!
The Premise
The Cat o' Nine Tails (Italian: Il gatto a nove code) is a 1971 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, adapted from a story by Argento, Luigi Cozzi, Dardano Sacchetti, and an uncredited Bryan Edgar Wallace. It stars James Franciscus, Karl Malden, and Catherine Spaak. Although it is the middle entry in Argento's so-called "Animal Trilogy" (along with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Four Flies on Grey Velvet), the "cat o' nine tails" does not directly refer to a literal cat, nor to a literal multi-tailed whip; rather, it refers to the number of leads that the protagonists follow in the attempt to solve a murder. The film was a commercial success in Italy but not in the rest of Europe. However, it was acclaimed in the United States. Argento admitted in the book Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento that he was less than pleased with the film, and has repeatedly cited it as his least favorite of all of his films.
Why It Terrifies Us
Categorized under Giallo, Mystery, The Cat o' Nine Tails taps into fundamental fears. The 6.6/100 Scare Score is well-earned. The themes of psychopath, adoption, eye ball continually haunt viewers long after the credits roll.
Into The Vault
Ready to dig deeper? The ScreamDesk Vault connects you to the architecture of fear.
- If you survived The Cat o' Nine Tails, you should read about Death Walks on High Heels.
- If you survived The Cat o' Nine Tails, you should read about StageFright.
- If you survived The Cat o' Nine Tails, you should read about A Bay of Blood.