25 April 2024
Suspected Death of a Minor (1975)
96 min.
Directed by Sergio Martino.
With Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer, Massimo Girotti, Lia Tanzi, Gianfranco Barra, Luciana Della Robia, Pino Caruso, Barbara Magnolfi.
This 1975 effort from Sergio Martino may belong more to the poliziesco subgenre than the giallo, but who cares?

Cassinelli is super easy on the eyes, the action sequences are gratifying, and the murder scenes effective, so it's a fun ride.

In Milan, a young girl is brutally killed by an unseen assailant.

Police officer Paolo Germi (Cassinelli) heads up an investigation into the murder, aided by his streetwise assistant Giannino (Caruso).

But the two roughnecks soon discover that the dead girl was a prostitute who was executed in order to cover up a wide-ranging underground ring of white slavery and teen exploitation.

Tensions mount, as Germi realizes he'll need to expose the circle of corruption...even as others continue to die at the hands of the increasingly desperate killer!

A good, Goblin-esque score by Luciano Michelini, and a feisty performance from Casinelli (1974's What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) highlight this entertaining mix of crime thriller and stalk pic.

Director Martino has a talent for weaving suspense into unusual setups, and layering the whole with attractive imagery, and here's no exception.

Also known as Too Young to Die.

Italian: Morte Sospetta di una Minorenne.

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