Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)

Italian director Lucio Fulci is renowned for his command of psychologically perplexing horror, a perverse mastery that was evident as early as his second feature, Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972). Part whodunit and part condemnation of ignorance, superstition, and the Catholic Church, Don’t Torture a Duckling is presented in large part from the perspective of a reporter who is trying to help detect the fiend who is killing young boys in a remote rural village. Infused with harsh sunlight for a documentary feel, the film contains what for Fulci is a minimum amount of gore (a woman is brutally beaten) and a maximum of suspense and contempt.