Happy Goat Horror

Alright, let’s get this out of the way: The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is absolutely bonkers. And that, my friends, is precisely why it’s so damn delightful. If you’re a giallo fan—or even just someone who’s curious about what the heck this subgenre is all about—this 1972 flick directed by the legendary Emilio Miraglia is a must-watch. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, I’m going to need you to hit pause on whatever you’re doing (yes, even that important Zoom meeting) and fix that immediately.

The plot? Well, it’s a murder mystery wrapped in a beautifully twisted puzzle. Two sisters, a family curse, a whole lot of eerie killings, and a blood-soaked trail leading to an increasingly bizarre conclusion. That’s the gist of it, but honestly, the specifics don’t really matter all that much in The Red Queen Kills Seven Times. The plot is just the vehicle to get us to the good stuff—the stylish kills, the eerie atmosphere, and the melodrama that only giallo can provide.

First off, let’s talk about the mood. Miraglia (who also directed The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, another giallo gem) delivers a deliciously creepy atmosphere here. Think fog-drenched alleys, spooky castles, and more red herrings than a fish market. You don’t know who to trust, and neither do the characters. Which is part of the fun. Every frame feels like it’s part of a beautifully crafted nightmare, and it sucks you in every single time.

Now, let’s talk about that ending. Without giving too much away, let me just say: The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is a masterclass in “what just happened?” There’s a delicious amount of confusion and misdirection, and when you think you’ve got it all figured out… bam! Twist. It’s like the filmmakers took every rule of giallo and just tossed them into a big ol’ cauldron, added some Italian seasoning, and served it to us with a side of “what the hell?”

And the characters—ah, they’re just as wonderfully strange as you’d expect. We’ve got some seriously eccentric performances here, with our two lead sisters playing emotional cat-and-mouse games with each other and the audience. Every line they deliver is dripping with that theatrical, heightened energy that makes giallo so compelling to watch. They’re basically living soap operas wrapped in horror, and it’s glorious.

But let’s not kid ourselves: The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is here for one reason and one reason only—to kill people in the most stylish way possible. From the striking, almost surreal killings to the gorgeously over-the-top set designs, it knows exactly what it is and leans into its giallo roots with an enthusiasm that’s hard to beat. Blood? Check. Glamour? Check. A killer with an enigmatic identity? You bet. It’s all here, folks, and it’s all served up with a side of overacting and mystery.

Sure, it might not have the slickness of Tenebrae or the iconic status of Deep Red, but The Red Queen Kills Seven Times has a certain charm to it. It’s one of those films that feels like it belongs in a dusty VHS collection, the kind you’re thrilled to pull out when you’re feeling nostalgic for a time when the weird and the wonderful reigned supreme in horror.

The Verdict: 4/5. Does it make sense? Not entirely. Is it ridiculously fun? Absolutely. If you’re looking for a giallo that embraces its absurdities and delivers a wild ride of mysterious deaths and stylish thrills, this is your film. Will it leave you scratching your head by the end? Oh, for sure. But that’s part of the fun, right? Just sit back, enjoy the chaos, and let The Red Queen Kills Seven Times take you on a bloody, twist-filled journey into the unknown.