Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye is a 1973 Italian horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller, Francoise Christophe and Serge Gainsbourg.

The movie begins with someone dragging a dead body into a basement. A ginger cat is watching. Cut to Corringa(Birkin) who is going to stay in Dragonstone Castle in Scotland. She used to visit there with her mother in the past. She meets her mother, Lady Alicia(Dana Ghia) and also her Aunt Mary MacGrieff(Christophe). A woman called Suzanne(Doris Kunstmann) is there also. She is a French teacher. James(Keller) is her cousin who also happens to be there. James who has a pet gorilla also called James. Two more people live in the castle- Dr. Franz(Anton Diffring) and Father Robertson(Venantino Venantini). Mary has little money and she is going to have to sell the castle. Lady Alicia is not going to help her with her money issues. Lady Alicia is smothered with a pillow by an unknown killer.

Corringa sees James at her window and she is creeped out. She hears a cat howling. She looks for the cat. She finds a passageway underneath the castle and discovers the dead body from the beginning of he movie. She passes out. Dr. Franz thinks that Alicia was murdered. The cat watches her funeral and jumps on the coffin. The locals discuss the strange cat. It follows people and there is some story about vampires. Corringa talks to James and he tells her she should leave. She tells him about the body she found. Dr. Franz is having an affair with Suzanne. A man called Angus is murdered. The cat sneaks into Corringa's bed and scratches her. She has a nightmare about it.

A policeman(Gainsbourg) comes to the castle. He shows Dr. Franz the body of Angus. Dr. Franz is worried about the police finding out that he gave Alicia a death certificate stating that she died of natural causes. Corringa tells James that she needs to go to the family tomb and see if her mother is still in her coffin. She does so and discovers that the coffin has been broken. Her mother is no longer in it. James is following her. His gorilla has been let out of its cage, Corringa and James sleep together. Dr.Franz gets killed next. The cat is there. The gorilla gets killed. Mary wants to get rid of Suzanne.

The inspector shows up. He knows that Alicia was murdered. Carringa tells him about the empty coffin. She finds a cufflink in the tomb. It belongs to James. He tells her that he had to cover up the murders. He hides because he thinks that the cops will take him in.The inspector is looking for him. He is hiding in a cave. Suzanne is the next to die. Corringa finds Mary standing over her body. She chases Corringa. They end up in the cave. Corringa finds her mother's body in there. James talks to the inspector and tells him that the killer is in the castle. The priest is the killer. He posed as a priest so he could kill the family members and inherit everything.He is actually part of the MacGrieff family too. The inspector turns up in time to find out the truth.

This is an interesting giallo. There are a lot of red herrings in it but it is fun trying to figure out who the killer is. I liked the kitty too. I will give it a 5/10.