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Cattet and Forzani’s ‘Reflection in a Dead Diamond’ Debuts on Shudder

Early reviews praise a sensory Eurospy homage defined by non‑linear timelines.

Overview

  • The film, now streaming on Shudder after a festival run and limited theatrical release, reworks 1960s Eurospy tropes into a hallucinatory character study.
  • Superspy John Diman is portrayed across two eras by Fabio Testi and Yannick Renier, underscoring themes of memory, regret, and fractured identity.
  • The shapeshifting antagonist Serpentik is led by Thi Mai Nguyen’s performance, with multiple actresses reflecting the character’s many faces.
  • Critics note heavy stylistic influence from Mario Bava, fumetti-inspired pop aesthetics, and a score featuring music by Ennio Morricone and Fabio Frizzi.
  • Reviews describe graphic, stylized violence and set pieces that prioritize sensation and metatextual genre deconstruction over conventional plot.