The Binding – Netflix Review (3/5)

THE BINDING is a new Netflix horror movie from Italy (org. title Il legame) with lots of creepy moments. We’re dealing with superstition, curses, and some rather brutal events. The acting and production quality is very impressive. Read our full The Binding review here!

THE BINDING is a new Netflix horror movie taking place in the South of Italy. Superstition, curses, and various homemade potions seem to be an everyday business in this area. It doesn’t seem silly or weird, but it is pretty damn creepy for the most part. 

The movie is an Italian production (org. title Il legame) and the language spoken is Italian as well. I know some might choose to watch a dubbed version, but I would highly recommend sticking with the original language. That’s always the best way to watch a movie. 

Continue reading our The Binding review below and check it out on Netflix.

Too slow for me

While there is a lot of good in The Binding, the story evolves too slowly for my liking. Or rather, the way it evolves often feels a bit off somehow. In fact, I’m just not a fan of the storyline overall, which is a shame since the acting in this movie is really good. Both from the child actor and the adults.

This Netflix horror movie stars Mía Maestro – who you might recognize from Alias or maybe The Strain TV series – and Riccardo Scamarcio. We recently saw the thriller Welcome Home which he was in. The movie wasn’t great, but he delivered a good performance.

In The Binding, most of the plot elements are about the female characters. From the young girl, who is the daughter of Mía Maestro’s character – to the wise older women trying to work with magic from nature. Overall, we’re dealing with superstition and curses, but before the movie is over, you will be a believer!

Watch The Binding on Netflix now!

The Binding seems to be the feature film directing debut for director Domenico Emanuele de Feudis. He also came up with the story for this movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Daniele Cosci and Davide Orsini.

I must admit that I really didn’t have the greatest of expectations for The Binding when I found out it was co-written by Daniele Cosci, who came up with the story along with the director. The reason is that the screenplay for Shortcut also came from this writer and I really didn’t like the story in that movie.

Recommended reading: Our review of Shortcut here >

However, I definitely have to admit that The Binding is so much better than Shortcut to me. The story is still too weak and slow for my liking, but the acting and production quality is very impressive. There are some gorgeous shots in this movie and excellent timing of horror elements. More than anything though, you should watch this movie on Netflix for Mía Maestro.

We don’t see her nearly enough and she always delivers solid performances. This movie is yet another example of that. Especially because her character is clearly there for us to relate to as the audience. And I, for one, quickly did relate to her and loved that she made many good choices along the way. Check out the 93-minute horror movie for yourself on Netflix now.

The Binding is out on Netflix from October 2, 2020.

Details

Director: Domenico Emanuele de Feudis
Writers: Daniele Cosci, Davide Orsini, Domenico Emanuele de Feudis
Stars: Mía Maestro, Riccardo Scamarcio, Michael C. Pizzuto, Federica Rosellini