Pretty Little Liars is a trojan horse of horrific delights. Debuting on ABC's family channel, the show followed the lives of four high school students whose lives are constantly being threatened by the weight of the secrets they keep. What follows over the course of the show is a wealth of murders, relationships, double and triple crosses, and most importantly, a plethora of unsettling ambiance. It is clear from the inception that this is a show made by people who truly love the medium, as each season is dappled with special cinematic events and endless film references. One of the more nuanced approaches the show takes is in how it homages the Giallo.
Giallo is an Italian horror genre that was made popular by legendary directors such as Maria Bava and Dario Argento which ultimately gave birth to the American slasher film in the 1980's. Trademarks of the genre involve a non-supernatural mystery, usually a murder (or a several) and an amateur, non-police detective thrown into the mix. The killer is often seen wearing black leather gloves and dark clothing that obfuscates their identity. Colors, symbolism, and clues play important parts in a Giallo film, while sexploitation is also a frequent theme, as sex and nudity is prevalent in virtually every offering.
Pretty Little Liars is a modern incarnation, albeit toned down. The central premise revolves around four girls who are being tormented by a mysterious mastermind known only as "A" in the aftermath of their alpha friend's mysterious disappearance. Over the next seven seasons A's identity changes several times, relationships form and break, and various deaths occur, ironically mostly at the hands of the liars themselves. One of the more interesting aspects is that the story begins with an illicit relationship between a teacher and one of the Liars, an immediate throwback to the exploitative and risqué underpinnings of the films that inspired it.
However, beyond a lascivious foundation, there are many other aspects of the show that replicate the Giallo vibe. The set designers revealed in a behind the scenes interview that they go out of their way to ensure the letter A is in every scene filmed while masks are used throughout every season to conceal both predator and prey. Identity, a theme that is heavily used within Giallo films, is also deeply explored throughout the series. The masks range from simplistic, to masquerade chic, to horrific, also coinciding with big plot reveals, and special themed episodes such as an annual Halloween episode or season four's brilliant noir inspired Shadow Plays.
Shadows and darkness are another hallmark both of the Giallo and the show. Virtually every location could be cut and pasted from horror classics onto the small screen. One particular standout is a creepy, remote motel that comes complete with an eccentric young stand in for Norman Bates. One of the miracles of Liars is that, despite being a parade of tropes and homages, they never steal the limelight from the main story, they only further enhance the strange world of Rosewood, PA.
For a show on a family network, Liars was very brazen for its time. Additional themes of substance abuse, mental health, sexuality, and bullying are all explored during each season. One of the liars is a lesbian who struggles not only with her identity, but in coming out to her family. This character's progression is treated organically and respectfully. Another principal struggles with drug addiction and does a stint in an acute psychiatric ward, a facility that is a central location for the series and which holds many dark secrets, yet another commonality with the Giallo.
Bullying may be somewhat of an outlier with respect to the Giallo, but many cinematic killers are acting out of revenge, and the way in which the characters go from enemy to friend to enemy to friend is more entertaining than a spy thriller with double agents, because in true mystery form, Liars never truly reveals its hand until the somewhat preposterous finale. While it was divisive, the way the show ends is telegraphed almost from the beginning. For a show with so many insane plot twists and out of left field villainy, the final "Uber A" reveal was more expected than shocking, the final byproduct of an intensely creative, shadow laden passion project.
Now streaming on HBO Max, Pretty Little Liars is an outrageous, completely ridiculous soap opera that also moonlights as the modern heir to one of the most important horror subgenres in history. Taking touchstones from the bloody past and reinventing them with a modern spin has long been a tactic, however, Liars goes beyond simple imitation to a respectful modern reimagining and the result is an outstanding guilty pleasure that does not disappoint.
--Kyle
Jonathan