Synopsis
The Binding (Italian title: Il Legame) is an Italian supernatural horror film released in 2020 and directed by Domenico Emanuele de Feudis. Now available on Netflix, the film has an unnerving plot concerning ancient curses, family secrets, and the innate horror of motherhood, all set in rural Southern Italy. Unlike most horror films, this one relies more greatly on folklore and psychological tension than on jump scares, assisting in the creation of an immersive experience.
In the film, Francesco and his fiancée Emma, alongside her young daughter Sofia, travel to Southern Italy to visit Francesco’s mother Teresa at her secluded countryside estate. The visit’s purpose was to obtain her blessing for the marriage. Despite her stoic and mysterious demeanor, Emma agrees to spend a few days at the estate.
Shortly after their arrival, Sofia begins to show unusual symptoms—falling sick, having nightmares, and acting unusual. Emma becomes more concerned, especially since the local doctor seems baffled by the symptoms and suggests a psychological or possibly supernatural explanation. It quickly becomes clear that Sofia is suffering from something sinister. With every family secret Emma uncovers, she learns even more about local folklore, curses, and ancient customs that span centuries.
As it turns out, Teresa is a practitioner of local occult traditions that focus on bindings—rituals meant for protecting loved ones or manipulating circumstances. Teresa informs Emma that Sofia is indeed the victim of a binding spell targeting her by someone maliciously. It is said that this binding curse is a cruel sorcery that shackles a victim’s spirit to some malevolent force, siphoning their life force and shrouding them in torment until the binding is released. Emma, initially a skeptic, has no choice but to accept these supernatural claims when her daughter’s condition worsens and nightmarish visions begin to haunt the entire family.
As Emma investigates further, she learns more about Teresa’s past connections and the unfortunate outcomes they brought. Additionally, Emma suspects that Sofia’s affliction is not simply some randomized curse but rather a targeted attack by someone who is intimately familiar with the family. The plot steadily progresses toward a ritualistic peak where Emma confronts the malign entity tethered to the curse and offers a tribute to save her daughter.
Emma physically and psychologically battles demonic forces as she executes a forbidden counter-ritual in the film’s closing scenes. The film comes to a close with an open-ended conclusion, casting doubt on whether the curse has indisputably been lifted—or if the bindings will persist with subsequent generations.
Cast and Characters
Francesco is Emma’s fiancé and the son of Teresa. He is portrayed by Riccardo Scamarcio, who brings a subtle fervor to the role. Francesco struggles with whether to remain loyal to his mother’s customs or embrace a new life with Emma and Sofia, and this struggle shapes some of the film’s most intense moments.
Mía Maestro as Emma
Emma serves as the protagonist—a contemporary woman enveloped in age-old world superstitions and concealed horrors. Maestro’s compelling performance captures Emma’s evolution from a mother willing to protect her daughter at all costs to a resolute, even warrior-like figure who must descend into darkness to save her.
Giulia Patrignani as Sofia
Sofia is Emma’s young daughter, and the curse’s primary victim. Giulia’s performance, especially at her age, is remarkable. She effectively embodies the fusion of innocence and horror that frequently serves as the emotional resonate center of the narrative.
Mariella Lo Sardo as Teresa
As the matriarch of the estate, Teresa is the guardian of ancient traditions. Mariella Lo Sardo brings the role to life with a commanding and enigmatic strength. Her character hovers between the archetypes of a nurturing grandmother and a perilous sorceress.
Themes and Symbolism
- Maternal Love and Sacrifice
Central to The Binding is the theme of maternal love. The narrative is framed as the story of a mother willing to go to the ends of the Earth for her child. The binding in question denotes the emotional and spiritual ties that bind individuals and can either nurture or stifle. The film probes the question of what love costs when it seeks to possess or domineer.
- Tradition vs. Modernity
The film explores the wide-ranging conflict between ancient traditions and contemporary skepticism. Modern Emma navigates a world bound to ancient beliefs and superstitions. Her defiance towards Teresa’s worldview reveals a deeper struggle between empirical science and faith, rationality and enchantment.
- The Power of Ritual
Emphasis is placed on protective as well as destructive rituals in the film. Southern Italian folkloristic rituals anchor the film in a specific culture. They are ways to both protect and nurture life or to dominate and destroy it. In particular, the binding ritual illustrates humans’ intrinsic desire to control destiny and other people’s lives.
- Ancestral Burden
The estate that serves as the setting for much of the film symbolizes inheritance, both corporeal and metaphysical. Family secrets, inherited like heirlooms, can hardly be escaped. The film suggests these curses and traumas must be exposed to confront the haunting burdens they place on successive generations.
Direction and Style
Domenico Emanuele de Feudis employs a moody and restrained approach to directing, focusing more on atmosphere than spectacle. The film’s natural lighting, slow camera work, and muted color palette create a dreamy, claustrophobic tone. Instead of resorting to typical horror movie shocks such as violence or gore, the director uses unnerving suggestions: shadow, whisper, eerie silence.
The rural landscape is critical to the film’s overall mood. Overgrown woods, ancient architecture, and the stone farmhouse evokes a sense of timeless isolation. The landscape appears to lack the footprints of contemporary life, further building the connection to the story’s ancient folk traditions and forgotten wisdom.
The pacing is methodical. While some viewers may perceive it as slow, the tempo provides space for mounting tension and emotional resonance. By the time the supernatural elements are fully introduced, the viewer has forged a deep connection to the characters and the stakes.
Reception and Critical Response
The Binding received a mix of positive reviews from audiences and critics. It was complimented for its unique atmosphere alongside the culturally infused cinematography and strong performances. Unlike most supernatural thrillers, the film grounded itself in Italian folklore which set it apart. Its slow approach to storytelling also received praise as many spectators found it more psychological, rather than solely aiming to invoke fright.
Regardless, certain critics highlighted a lack of originality in the plot and compared it to other supernatural thrillers such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose or The Conjuring series. Some others felt that the film’s intense third act didn’t do justice to the mystery established during the first two thirds of the movie. Most agreed, however, that The Binding managed to evoke a suspenseful story and a powerful story about love, loss, and legacy.
Conclusion
The Binding remains a disturbing and emotionally resonant horror film that employs the supernatural as a means of grappling with profound human fears—particularly those involving motherhood, family, and the desire to control. Unlike many films of the genre, this one does not succumb to clichés, drawing instead on a rich cultural backdrop and a gradual sense of dread. Rather, it features remarkable performances like the one delivered by Mía Maestro and Mariella Lo Sardo, and centers on Southern Italian folklore, thus enriching the contemporary horror canon in a thought-provoking and suspenseful way.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies