Rainkiller - Tod im Regen

Just as the Giallo genre was starting to decline in its country of origin, one of the most serious attempts to imitate it was produced in the United States under the auspices of Roger Corman's Califilm production company. Its plot follows a veteran detective (Ray Sharkey) and an FBI agent (David Beecroft) as they hunt down a serial killer who commits his crimes during torrential rains in Los Angeles. Deep shadows, colorful lighting, improbable plot twists, and a gloved killer stalking with a sharp knife easily reveal its influences, while Janusz Kaminski's cinematography creates a dark and wonderful atmosphere. Although it received criticism at the time, this mix of film noir and giallo deserves a rewatch, if only to be seen as a direct reference to Ty West's recent *MaXXXine* (2024).