Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- paranoid
- visceral
- late night horror viewing
- cult movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Trauma as a visually excessive and gruesome but convoluted late-period giallo with generally favorable rather than enthusiastic reception.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Aura and David investigate a serial killer while the film withholds and redirects clues through elaborate killings and revelations.
The Headhunter’s decapitations and other killings are staged for graphic visual impact, matching Argento’s excesses of gore.
Aura’s anorexia, psychiatric confinement, family history, and exposure to murder all shape her role in the investigation.
The killer apparently strikes only when it rains, making weather a repeated marker of suspense and threat.
Films like Trauma, and why
Deep Red
shared giallo mystery, stylized violence, serial killer investigation, and psychological unease
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
shared rain-soaked atmosphere, elaborate killer mystery, graphic set pieces, and baroque visual style
Tenebrae
shared psychological thriller structure, grotesque murders, fragmented clues, and heightened suspense
Opera
shared giallo conventions, trauma-driven mystery, surreal menace, and elaborate murder scenes
Movie Details
- Director
- Dario Argento
- Release Date
- 1993-03-12
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (248)
Cast
- Christopher Rydell
- Asia Argento
- Frederic Forrest
- Laura Johnson
- Dominique Serrand
- James Russo
- Piper Laurie
- Brad Dourif
- Sharon Barr
- Hope Alexander-Willis
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Trauma about?
- A troubled runaway and her unlikely ally investigate a rain-bound decapitator whose murders expose a buried medical conspiracy.
- What is Trauma like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Trauma as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Trauma violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Trauma as graphic.
- What did critics think of Trauma?
- Critics broadly regard Trauma as a visually excessive and gruesome but convoluted late-period giallo with generally favorable rather than enthusiastic reception.
- Which films are like Trauma?
- Films with a similar feel include Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Tenebrae, and Opera.
- How long is Trauma?
- Trauma runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Trauma?
- In United States, Trauma streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
