The American Backyard

Did You Know?

• The film is set in 1940s Bologna and the American Midwest.
• The protagonist travels to the American Midwest and settles next door to Barbara's mother.
• Barbara is an American nurse with whom the protagonist falls in love.

Production

Avati stated that the macabre crimes in the film were not invented, but drawn from real events from the Monster of Florence to the present, and that he was more interested in the psychological and psychiatric aspects, calling the protagonist the loneliest man there is. Principal photography took place in Rome, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Forlì, as well as Davenport, Iowa, beginning in December 2023 and continuing into 2024.

Reception

Critics were divided on the film. One reviewer called it an excessive noir gothic thriller that was both unsettling and ridiculous. Another gave it three and a half stars, describing it as a mysterious, arcane tale of fear that serves as a declaration of being. A third critic found it fascinating but unresolved. One reviewer awarded two and a half stars, praising Avati's skill with suspended atmospheres while noting a risk of disorientation. Conversely, a four-and-a-half-star review claimed the film proves Avati's determination to master the refined material that shaped classic American horror.