The Well

by Mike McGranaghan

The Well is a good example of why independent horror movies are vital. This Italian import – which contains English dialogue – goes to places that Hollywood studios would probably shy away from, or at least water down. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for a demented story filled with an insane amount of gore, your prayers have been answered.

Terrifier 2’s Lauren LaVera stars as Lisa, a young art restorer. She’s hired by Italian duchess Emma Malvizi (Claudia Gerini) to clean up a fire-damaged medieval painting. Each section she works on reveals an image of a demon-like figure. Terrifying nightmares about that figure follow immediately afterward. Meanwhile, in the mansion’s basement, a group of travelers is kept in locked cells. Every so often, an inbred-looking hulk of a man hauls one of them out, kills them, then throws their body down into a well. Mystery is derived from waiting to see how the upstairs events and downstairs events tie together.

Writer/director Federico Zampaglione takes obvious inspiration from the Italian giallo movies made by filmmakers like Mario Bava and Dario Argento. The Well has an appealing old-school vibe that way. Although there are a few rough edges due to the low budget, the overall spirit is right on the money. Establishing an eerie atmosphere is just as important as the shock moments.

And those shock moments absolutely deliver a punch. A character getting their eye gouged out with one of those three-pronged gardening tools exemplifies the kind of stuff you’ll see. Beyond the blood and guts, the hulk guy is himself unnerving, with his relentless grunting and simple-minded brutality. Another inhabitant of the basement, whom I will not attempt to describe, is even creepier. The movie draws a potent contrast between the relatively sophisticated goings-on upstairs and the unfathomable violence taking place underneath the floorboards.

Lauren LaVera has an important function. Her job is to put a human quality into the center of the story. She does this exceptionally well, giving a performance that’s sincere, appealing, and far removed from the “final girl” trope. We don’t want to see anything bad happen to Lisa as a result. The actress can probably do whatever she wants, but she’s carving a nice niche for herself in the horror genre. For a fright film to really work, the quality of the central performance must be proportionate to the intensity of the terror. LaVera achieves that balance.

The Well is not for the squeamish. You’ll need a strong stomach to deal with several of the movie’s centerpiece scenes. If you have one and also possess a taste for Italian horror, carve out 91 minutes to discover this twisted little gem.

---