'What Have They Done to Your Daughters' is a 1974 giallo thriller directed by Massimo Dallamano that blends elements of police procedural thriller, mystery and action and delivers something quite unexpected and yet refreshing at the same time. This is a far less traditional giallo than you'd might expect, but the results are impressive with a tense and sleazy atmosphere, well crafted gory death scenes and impressive action set-pieces with the right amount of style and substance.
The plot follows Inspector Valentini (Mario Adorf), a cop based out of Rome who investigates an apparent suicide of a teenage girl and uncovers disturbing details of a teenage prostitution ring racket and before long it becomes apparent that there's a killer on the loose as more people begin to get murdered.
The acting is top notch from everyone in the cast with Mario Adorf as Inspector Valentini providing a strong lead and shows fantastic range and Giovanna Ralli as District Attorney Vittoria Stori provides a standout performance and steals almost every scene she's in. Claudio Cassinelli also provides great support as Inspector Silvestri.
Despite the police procedural subplot dominating much of the production, there's enough giallo conventions thrown into the mix with some chilling suspense and tense chase scenes with a cool vet creepy killer dressed in motorcycle gear who provides enough menace to be a looming threat to anyone who comes near them. The movie's subject matter may be a bit off-putting to some, but the director handles the rather controversial subject matter rather well and of course there's the thinly veiled social commentary that comes across as heavy handed, but the director plays everything straightforward with a slick pace that thankfully never bogs down the runtime. The cinematography is stunning with some cool shots and a great score by Stelvio Cipriani complements the action rather beautifully. The only gripe I have is the weak ending which really feels at odds with the exciting build-up. Other than that the movie was an enjoyable thrill ride.
