‎The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) directed by Mario Bava • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

The Girl Who Knew Too Much

1963 ‘La ragazza che sapeva troppo’ Directed by Mario Bava

What Does It Want? What Will Satisfy Its Cravings?

A tourist witnesses a murder and finds herself caught up in a series of bloody killings.

Letícia Román John Saxon Valentina Cortese Dante DiPaolo Titti Tomaino Luigi Bonos Milo Quesada Gustavo De Nardo Giovanni Di Benedetto Jim Dolen Franco Ressel Robert Buchanan

92 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Timcop ★★★★ 3

Like proto-De Palma, this has so much going for it in terms of style and great-looking black and white photography that I was in hog heaven.

And remember kids: don't do marijuana cigarettes because you'll just black out for days and dream up a bunch of murders.
Review by laird ★★★★ 4

Much better than I was expecting: sometimes "patient zero" movies (in this case Girl Who Knew Too Much is credited as being the predecessor to what became known as giallo) seem quaint, but creaky compared to what they inspired. In this case, while the seeds of certain aspects are apparent, the movie very much stands on its own as a fun, lightly comedic whodunnit. Surprisingly, some of the comedy is extremely subtle. For instance the Italian characters keep telling the titular American tourist "girl" how safe and beautiful Rome is, and then she is almost immediately witness to all kinds of crimes and transgressions. When it needs to switch gears from Nancy Drew to something more adult and terrifying, it…
Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★★

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (imported into the US as Evil Eye, but Evil Eye is a totally different and much worse version of the movie you should avoid if at all possible) became famous somewhat retroactively as it was eventually recognized as the first film in the giallo genre, but to me it feels more like classical Hollywood Golden Age film noir. It features gorgeous black and white photography (deep focus, sharp shadows) and a dark city with a seedy underbelly lurking just beneath the surface of its idealistic appearance.

Nora Davis is a tourist visiting scenic Rome on vacation, and while staying at a friend's house she witnesses a murder which slowly becomes linked to a string…
Review by Erik [Auk] ★★½ 4

The Girl Who Knew Too Much has its moments and the photography looks nice in Mario Bava's hands, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking this is actually a great film.
Review by Mr. DuLac ★★★★

Davis? With a D? As in Death?
-Caller

Considered the first giallo film, I'm to much of a novice to argue it isn't. I do know it's Mario Bava's last film directed in black and white while making it so gorgeously stylish that you almost regret that he went to color. I suppose he had no choice really because as demonstrated here he was a master at manipulating black and white cinematography like few others so he had to move on to something else.

The film involves a convoluted murder mystery with the classic "outsider" caught in the middle of everything as the beautiful Letícia Román as the American tourist, Nora Davis, in Rome that may, or may not have…
Review by Terése Flynn ★★★★ 2

Oh those women getting hysterical over imagined things. Those women getting neuroses from drinking.

Well, Nora Davis didn't imagine that murder she saw after being robbed in Piazza di Spagna. She doesn't even drink! But she gets deeply involved in the murder mystery and in the doctor (John Saxon!) whom seems to be stalking her... Or is it just all a result of all the head injuries she acquires during a short period of time? And what's with those cigarettes?

This is one of the most competent movies I've seen from Bava. A surprisingly straight forward story is made interesting with some humour, interesting camera work and small pieces of the puzzle being shown along the way. In other words: A neat little murder mystery movie that found its way to my heart already in the first scene. Loved it!

Recent reviews

Review by Erik [Auk] ★★½ 4

The Girl Who Knew Too Much has its moments and the photography looks nice in Mario Bava's hands, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking this is actually a great film.
Review by Calum Macleod ★★★★

That talcum powder string trap was a thing of beauty.
Review by rossthemc ★★★½

That was a pretty out of left field last 30 seconds to the movie!
Review by Razzmatazz ★★★★★

Masterpiece. Darkly comic. Bava has no equal. His last B&W film and arguably the first giallo, more of a proto-giallo imo. Blood and Black Lace holds the distinction as the first proper giallo. I tried to watch Evil Eye directly after and couldn’t get past the plane. After several attempts, I don’t think I’ll ever watch it.
Review by Michael_Elliott ★★★

American Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) travels to Italy to see her aunt but right from the start things go bad. After waking up to a thunderstorm, Nora goes to check on her aunt and finds her dead. In search of some help, Nora runs outside where she is robbed but things take a worse turn when she witnesses a brutal murder. Soon people are trying to convince her that it was all in her mind but before long she thinks she might be the next victim.

Mario Bava directed this thriller, which also goes by the name EVIL EYE. The traditional title is obviously a wink at the Alfred Hitchcock thriller and there's no question that Bava must have been…
Review by Buzz Borders ★★★★

Pure Giallo masterpiece but I had to drop a star because the ending is so lame. Otherwise it’s a gripping mystery/horror film with a dash of humor. His play on the Hitchcock title is no accident.
Review by Leif ★★★

Pretty lightweight for Mario Bava, but fun nonetheless. Appropriately titled to reflect the inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers, this film blends the right amount of suspense of humor. I don't think Hitch would allow so many weird plot holes, but at the same time, probably never spent as much effort perfecting the beautiful lighting and cinematography that Bava does. His last film shot in B&W, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is good starting place for folks wanting to explore his filmography.
Review by Richie D ★★★★

The film that established the essential structure of the giallo.

Featuring a young John Saxon who relocated to Rome to work in Italian movies after lack of decent roles in Hollywood.
Review by Ashley ★★★★

I'm so sad I'm just coming into Bava over the past year. He's fantastic, and THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, a Hitchcockian Giallo is not one to be missed.