Aside from the unfortunate coincidence of having a pitch perfect Lifetime Channel movie title, My Dear Killer has a lot going for it. But then, you really cannot go wrong with an opening sequence that includes the classic "severed head rolling down a hill," not to mention a high level of girls screaming in terror and not just because of George Hilton's mustache.
This was billed to me as being quite complex, even by giallo standards, though I don't necessarily see it. Most of the action revolves around Inspector Peretti (Hilton) as he discovers victims and creates a few of his own seeing as the killer takes to knocking off anyone he comes into contact with. There is a link early on to a child kidnapping gone wrong a year earlier and it plays itself out to a fitting conclusion. I will not divulge the identity of the killer though the final scene does come to a common conceit of giallo films. While I tend to be quite forgiving to some of the more ludicrious twists and just plain weird reveals that inhabit much of the genre, we literally get Peretti confronting a room full of suspects that have been built up over the course of the film. Honestly, no matter which of the 8 or so potential killers was revealed as the real one, the emotional impact really would not have changed. It is a minor complaint, but there's just too many bodies to account for in the end and unfortunately, most are still breathing.
In terms of what tends to stand out with these films, the violence was more or less subdued though there is one particularly messy scene for all to enjoy (Remember girls, do not leave your handsaw plugged in and sitting out. You are just asking for trouble.) Other than that, though, disappointing.
6/10
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