Ray Lovelock and a young (very young) Ornella Muti are two freewheeling flower children who support themselves by reselling pornography across Europe. If this movie was made today they'd be running an OnlyFans! They're having a fun time of it at first but their luck starts to run out and they soon find themselves on the run. Out of desperation they take refuge in a villa (the 'oasis' of the title) and encounter Barbara (Irene Papas). After an awkward introduction they seem to get along great, even throwing a groovy party. And then the plot thickens...
Even though most people would consider this a giallo and I called it one in the title, this really feels more like a psychological thriller to me. Chalk it up to most of the plot happening in one confined location and a lack of masked killers or a large ensemble of characters to suspect. No matter how you categorize this, it's a well made effort, thanks to the chemistry between the principals, sharp cinematography, and legitimately surprising twists. Other points in this movie's favor include a somewhat higher budget (for this kind of movie, at least) and a few instances of upbeat, finger-snapping music. I typically prefer the instrumental arrangements of Morricone et. Al but the sunny opening title track by a band called I Leoni is especially worth checking out.
Even though most people would consider this a giallo and I called it one in the title, this really feels more like a psychological thriller to me. Chalk it up to most of the plot happening in one confined location and a lack of masked killers or a large ensemble of characters to suspect. No matter how you categorize this, it's a well made effort, thanks to the chemistry between the principals, sharp cinematography, and legitimately surprising twists. Other points in this movie's favor include a somewhat higher budget (for this kind of movie, at least) and a few instances of upbeat, finger-snapping music. I typically prefer the instrumental arrangements of Morricone et. Al but the sunny opening title track by a band called I Leoni is especially worth checking out.