Nowhere near Dario's worst (that was yet to come!) but this Giallo isn't great. I guess, if you forget this is Argento, this could be be an OK trashy time filler. In fact, it's so silly it's quite entertaining! But it is Argento. I suggest you watch it anyway and just imagine it was made by Bruno Mattei instead!

I am a long time fan of the work of Dario Argento. The undisputed king of Italian Horror/Thrillers has had a long and successful career since the 1970's. Fans will recall some of his earlier classics such as SUSPIRIA, INFERNO, FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET & PROFONDO ROSSO. Argento has his own unique style of film making that sets he apart from his peers.
TRAUMA was released back in 1993 to somewhat mixed reviews. This was Argento's first "mainstream" attempt to crack the US market, and this can be seen in the choice of casting and overall style of the film. We get solid performances from seasoned actors such as Frederick Forrest & Piper Laurie. Asia Argento turns in a very convincing role as the disturbed and anorexic Aura. As with most Argento films, the plot is rather sketchy at times, but we do get some amazing "Argento" set pieces such as the fabulous rainstorm attack and the stalking and killing of a nurse in a motel room. In this film, Argento gives us one of his darkest and innovative killer's to date. The murder sequences are handled very well, although the sfx by Tom Savini are mediocre, to say the least. Pino Donnagio provides the music, which sounds very dated and somewhat intrusive. This film would have worked better with a more modern sounding electronic score, similar to those by Goblin and Claudio Simonneti.

Curiously Trauma could well be Argento's worst film, an awful soundtrack adding to the problems. America wasn't kind to Dario and a poor script, weak performances and a sense that this is a case where a weak Argento isn't interesting in any way at all. The Card Player is actually better, and that says it all.

This is yet again another great film by Dario Argento, dark and twisted it enters the world of a serial killer whos targeting certain people and cutting off their heads!! The cast is good, Asia Argento is lovely and great to watch as always, theres maybe not quite as much gore in this film as you would like but there are still some great bloody moments of carnage and terror! Most of all like all Argento movies the story is interesting and keeps you pulled in. certainly worth checking out if your a fan.

fixed subtitles on english version

Not one of Argento's best films but its still a watchable film - better than his later effort GIALLO which he has disowned
His daughter Asia makes her starring debut later to be excellent in THE STENDAHL SYNDROME.
A good film but Tom Savini has done better with his SFX

Not one of Dario Argento's best. I'm a huge fan and had never got round to seeing Trauma. The film plodds along and the set peices are poor, I also think his daughter is miscast in the American setting. One to avoid!

Dario Argento's 1993 Giallo is a mixed bag, it's a film on his CV that his fans readily accept shows the best and worst of the goremeister's bent.

Asia Argento plays a troubled young woman with a eating disorder who runs away from a psychiatric hospital. Teaming up with a hero in waiting, she is drawn into the hunt for a serial killer known as "The Headhunter", a hooded killer who has a penchant for decapitation.

Backed by American dollars for the first time, Dario Argento is in a mischievous mood here. Pumped by Pino Donaggio's chipper musical compositions, Trauma struggles to get the audience to take it seriously as a horror film. Conversely, it's still a bunch of fun, intentionally or otherwise, with the director blending gore and suspense with his playful peccadilloes.

The murder scenes are handled with the customary Argento skill, where we even get introduced to what can only be described as Garrote-O-Vision! His camera work quite often borders on the brilliant, but elsewhere the acting is poor across the board and the uneven tone destabilises the pic as a "horror" film of substance.

Roll the dice and take your chance here really. It's fun not scary, bloody yet playful, classy yet amateurish, gotta love those red berries though. 6.5/10