Directed by the Italian directing duo of Maurizio and Roberto del Piccolo (former authors of The Hounds and Evil Souls), My Little Sister (Italy - 2016) is a slasher/horror full of heinous sequences, a few tense moments and appreciated homages to cult films of the past.
My Little Sister also offers evocative locations where nature, immense and heavenly, impassively embraces chases and murders typical of slasher films. Del Piccolo's film opens right away with a bloody scenario, with a spectacle of pain and torture led by Igor (played by Saverio Percudani). With his face covered by another face, this character is reminiscent of the famous villain Leatherface from Don't open that door and thus inevitably also the protagonist of Deranged -- The Confessions of a Necrophile. (1974), the film inspired by the true story of Ed Gein, the necrophilic serial killer and lover of human skin.
The plot reads as follows: Igor's childhood was marked by the loss of his father, who died in an accident caused by his younger sister Erika. Growing up in complete loneliness, isolated from the world and tormented by his unjust and cruel past, the young man will try to put his life back in order in the way he sees fit.
Violent but also lost in a torrid and sick love for his deceased parent (in this sense very reminiscent of Psyco), however, the killer comes across as barely believable due to a clumsy attitude that on more than one occasion contrasts with the cruelty of his actions. His movements verge on the unintentionally ridiculous, compromising the overall outcome of a well-directed film with a script that embraces several interesting ideas. The hope placed in an Italian villain to remember thus gives way to disappointment: unsuccessful, this character deprives the tension film that a good slasher requires.
In My Little Sister also features old footage capturing Igor as a child, on the very day of the tragedy that marked him. Unexpected and welcome, these old recordings serve as a comprehensive framework for the psychological profile of the psychopath.
The overall acting level of the actors among whom Holli Dillon stands out positively above all. The Italian dubbing of the film, on the other hand, is really lacking, so viewing in the original language (English) is recommended.
Bottom line, My Little Sister is an honest slasher that certainly doesn't add anything new to the genre but that entertains despite its various naiveté and its uneven pace. We recover after the finale thanks to the beautiful track "Horrorstoner" by Relic on the closing credits.
In the cast: Saverio Percudani, Holli Dillon (Evil Souls), Mattia Rosellini, David White (Zombie Massacre, Beautiful People), Sofia Pauly (The Blind King), Lucia Castellano, Alberto Corba, Antonio Pauletta and Astrid Di Bon.
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My Little Sinister is currently available in a curated DVD distributed by CG Entertainment. The release enjoys good audio and video quality and an extensive section related to extras. In fact, the special contents include: the short film "L'intruso" by Francesco Roder (a film about the consequences of sexual violence), the Making of My Little Sister, interviews with the cast and the video clip "Horrorstoner" (directed by Maurizio del Piccolo) by the Bologna-based Death Metal band Relic. The track "Horrorstoner" is featured in the closing credits of My Little Sister.
DVD EDITION:
Video: 16/9 2.35:1
Duration: 75′
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 | Italian, Dolby Digital 5.1 | English
N. Discs: 1
Subtitles: Italian, Italian for the Deaf
Extras: The Intruder, Making of, Relic Horrorstoner video clip, Cast interviews.
