Book Presentation: “Cult Thriller” by Caterina Sabato

Saturday, July 25
10:30 a.m.
Osteria La Pace – Porto Santo Stefano

The Book

More than any other genre, the thriller reflects society, revealing its cracks and anxieties. It isn’t created merely to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat: it often captures the spirit of its time, and at other times anticipates it, as demonstrated by Alfred Hitchcock’s *The Birds* (1963), which already offered a glimpse of anxieties related to the environmental crisis. At its best, the thriller transforms real-life events and figures from crime news into powerful symbols capable of taking root in the collective imagination. This is the case with the “pioneering” serial killer in Fritz Lang’s *M—The Monster of Düsseldorf* (1931), or the dark connections linking *Psycho* (1960), *The Silence of the Lambs* (1991), and *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre* (1974) to the disturbing story of the notorious killer Ed Gein.

In this essay, the author does not attempt to cover the entire body of thriller films—an impossible task given the genre’s vast scope—but instead charts a thoughtful map: she discusses the films that have had the deepest impact, those that have redefined cinematic languages, influenced other genres, and opened up new directions. Above all, these are works that have captured the shifts in society and amplified its fears.

The Author

Caterina Sabato is a freelance journalist. After completing a master’s degree in Film Criticism atthe Silvio D’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, she began contributing to various news and film criticism publications in 2016, including Ciak, Cinemaitaliano.info, Fortune Entertainment Italia, and Cinecittà News. She has been a member of the National Union of Film Journalists (SNGCI) since 2020. In 2022 , she won the Domenico Meccoli Award for Film Writing.

Publisher: Edizioni La Serra
Series: Anemone

We look forward to seeing you in Porto Santo Stefano on July 24, 25, and 26!