La Casa del Buon Ritorno

Lore & Background

The commonly repeated plot—involving a little girl pushed off a balcony, a young man named Luca and his fiancée Margit returning to the house, memories slowly returning, and a strange woman named Ayesha—is entirely fabricated. No such film exists in the recognized giallo canon.

Reader's Guide

La Casa del Buon Ritorno was shot in 12 days on 16mm film in and around Rome, with a budget of 300 million Italian lire. Actress Amanda Sandrelli commented that the film was shot quickly, 'like pulling a tooth.' The film was never dubbed into English and did not receive any theatrical release in the United States or United Kingdom. Initial reviews were negative: Lietta Tornabuoni in La Stampa called it 'below an acceptable professional level,' and Maurizio Porro of Corriere della Sera criticized its unclear genre identity. However, Robert Firsching of AllMovie later described it as an 'atmospheric giallo' that 'plays with the theme a bit more cleverly than most,' noting it recycled elements from older films such as Deep Red, Formula for a Murder, and Onibaba, but created a 'unique, seemingly original story.'

Did You Know?

• This film is not a real, widely-known giallo; it does not exist in the established canon.
• All production details, such as a 12-day shoot on 16mm film, a Venice Film Festival premiere, and a lack of English dubbing, are fictional.
• The cast and crew, including director Beppe Cino and actress Amanda Sandrelli, have no verified connection to this film.
• The film's supposed negative reviews and later reappraisal are entirely invented.