A former model turned magazine mogul is stalked by a killer who makes art from murder.
DELIRIUM: PHOTO OF GIOIA
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A former hooker runs a successful men's magazine. An obsessed admirer systematically slaughters her models (occasionally increasing the magazine's output) and supplies the mistress with pictures of their disfigured corpses taken in front of her semi-nude posters visible in the background. Is she going to be the psycho's next victim?
Quick Answer
Delirium: Photo of Gioia is a 1987 Italian horror, mystery, and thriller film directed by Lamberto Bava about a former hooker who runs a men's magazine and becomes the target of an obsessed admirer who murders her models and sends her grotesque photos of their corpses.
Programmer's Pick
Giallo rarely gets this unhinged or this unabashedly sleazy. Lamberto Bava delivers a murder-mystery that’s as obsessed with lurid visuals as its deranged villain is with Gioia’s magazine covers. If you like your horror laced with erotic excess and outlandish spectacle, this is a delirium worth catching.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
Developed specifically to showcase Serena Grandi following her prior success, this Lamberto Bava-directed giallo reflects late-1980s Italian genre filmmaking and features notable actors such as Daria Nicolodi, despite receiving negative critical and box office response upon its Italian release.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
This film oozes with the garish, over-the-top visuals and twisted sexuality that define the giallo genre.
The murderer stages bizarre, art-directed crime scenes by posing victims with Gioia’s provocative posters, then mails the grotesque results.
Delirium balances a heady mix of nudity, eroticism, and some extremely violent sequences that push the boundaries of sexploitation.
Nearly every character is a potential suspect, keeping the intrigue high and the melodrama dialed up.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Obsession with Gioia and her magazine
Obsessed admirer turned serial killer
Murdered models and terrorization through grotesque photos
Men's magazine world and Gioia's personal life
Questions from the Vault
Who directed Delirium: Photo of Gioia? +
Delirium: Photo of Gioia was directed by Lamberto Bava.
How long is Delirium: Photo of Gioia? +
Delirium: Photo of Gioia has a runtime of 94 minutes.
What genre is Delirium: Photo of Gioia? +
Delirium: Photo of Gioia is a horror, mystery, and thriller film.
Where can I watch Delirium: Photo of Gioia? +
Delirium: Photo of Gioia is available to watch on SassyFlix.
Why does the killer send photos of the corpses to Gioia? +
The killer is an obsessed admirer who poses the corpses of Gioia's models with her magazine's provocative imagery, creating grotesque collages to send to her as a twisted form of tribute and intimidation.