The Goldsmith Is Tarnished but Watchable

The Goldsmith aspires to be a twisting tale of terror. Some surprising narrative turns will coax the curious to see where it all leads. Blood isn’t the horror here, though some unsettling gore occurs. Rather, this is a suspenseful thriller aimed at leaving the audience wondering why everything is happening.

The film begins with a trio of robbers observing the elderly couple Giovanna and Antonio. They live in an isolated house in the woods, and a treasure trove is supposed to be found inside. The criminals go in expecting an easy score. However, tempers flare as the simple crime soon seems a bust. The desperate thieves force the elderly couple to reveal their hidden stash, but the vault quickly becomes a prison cell as Antonio and Giovanna turn out to be not quite so helpless. What follows tests the limits of friendship, while simultaneously leading inexorably towards the old couple’s own sinister agenda.

The Goldsmith opens with a definitive example of the expression, “That escalated quickly!” This sets the tone for the rest of the film. However, it also sets a high bar. The remainder of The Goldsmith never quite matches the level it sets at the start. There’s a constant sense of someone driving with a foot on the gas and the brake, pressing one then the other. Although sometimes this works in its favor, such as when characters are left to boil in heated tension, other times the pace feels slower than necessary. Granted, dramatic moments are occurring, but they feel like the set ups to grand finales which never fully materialize.

It’s tricky to criticize because these dramatic occasions are cleverly presented. At risk of spoilers, characters monologue relating what happened in certain past situations. Their voice-overs are what they claim occurred, while on screen audiences see the actual events unfolding. This juxtaposition of truth and lies is great for creating potential suspense. However, characters always instantly know when there’s a lie.

At this point, the premise of criminals finding themselves in the clutches of someone more sinister is almost its own subgenre in horror. Consider films like Peppergrass (2021), Don’t Breathe (2016), and The Perfect Host (2010). In that regard, The Goldsmith follows the formula to a T. Yet, performances by Stefania Casini and Giuseppe Pambieri keep the movie engaging. They have a wonderful chemistry that allows them to be a loving couple who’ve been married for years then alter expectations with their reaction. For instance, after being assaulted by criminals in the dead of night they seem disturbingly cheery, inspiring any audience to wonder where this is going.

Some smart dialogue helps in that regard. Stefania Casini and Giuseppe Pambieri not only get some wonderful scenes that are delightfully incongruous with the sinister events transpiring, but they’re also oddly charming to watch. In addition, The Goldsmith opens with an excellent exchange between the criminals which establishes a great deal about their dynamic without directly stating things. Everything can be gleaned from the actions and reactions of performers Mike Cimini, Tania Bambaci, and Gianluca Vannucci. Unfortunately, this smart dialogue gives way to monologue exposition dumps.

It’s fine when folks are lying to one another, or the character Antonio is poking at his prisoners, but there’s never really any reaction other than something immediately volatile. The pressure cooker explodes before anyone feels the torturously crushing pressure. The consequence is a suspense film without much tension.

Furthermore, the formulaic nature of events unfolds as one would expect, leaving a lot of outcomes predictable. And the filmmakers seem to know this because halfway through the movie The Goldsmith begins twisting towards more bloody, direct horror. The pace then slows, crawling to a conclusion that is somewhat gruesome but having forty-five minutes to prepare for it—the horror doesn’t hit that hard.

Director Vincenzo Ricchiuto, who also penned the script with writer Germano Tarricone, has certainly composed a film that looks good. Yet, again, the opening sets a standard the rest of the film rarely lives up to. The continuous sequence going into the elderly couple’s home that then moves out into the woods to reveal the robbers observing from the shadows is wonderful. However, the rest of The Goldsmith largely becomes fixed shots with chunks featuring performers simply addressing the camera directly. The potential for more visual storytelling is clearly here, but never manifests enough.

This loss of cinematic flair could have saved a film that is too predictable to be truly suspenseful. The Goldsmith could have at least been more visually engaging, and Vincenzo Ricchiuto seems capable of that. The lack of gore also makes the movie feel tame. However, I will concede, as a longtime horror fan the kind of slaughter which I find unsettling may nauseate others into a coma, but when a knife wound does little more than stain a shirt it’s not horrifyingly bloody. Meanwhile, psychological terror isn’t given enough chance to really ferment into something grand.

The Goldsmith starts out strong. Quality performances by Stefania Casini and Giuseppe Pambieri help carry the film. Director Vincenzo Ricchiuto offers occasional moments of marvelous cinematic flare, but they’re unfortunately infrequent. The overall result is a mild fright flick with predictable twists and a dash of tame gore. Yet, The Goldsmith does offer enough curious crumbs to tempt an audience towards the end. Although it’s doubtful those who take the journey will remember it long after.