108.1 FM RADIO

A solitary driver gives a ride to a hitchhiker. While the latter tries to break the ice, the former remains reserved and quiet. When the radio announces that a psychopathic killer is lurking in the area they are traveling through, the two plunge into a state of paranoia. Is the killer among them? And who is it? 108.1 FM Radio starts with a very simple premise: induce paranoia and see how far humans can go. An experiment, or rather a game. The intentions of Angelo and Giuseppe Capasso, the brothers behind this short film, are clearly theoretical as well as playful. From such a premise, they craft an intriguing sociological analysis of communication in the form of a thriller. The Capasso brothers, who have previously made two remarkable genre shorts, "The Eye" and "Terrible Truth," change styles once again, showcasing their versatility and technical expertise. While "The Eye" was a chamber horror with gothic atmospheres and "Terrible Truth" a frenetic pulp with a decidedly modern edge, "108.1 FM Radio" comes across as a more classic thriller that uses brevity as a powerful weapon. The mechanism is one familiar to audiences: a whodunit that emphasizes the identity of the killer, complete with a final twist. The short 15-minute runtime ensures a fast-paced narrative, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats; at the same time, however, one senses that perhaps 15 minutes is too brief, and the story, written by the Capassos along with Lorenzo Cammisa, had potential to be developed further without losing its compactness. In short, it's one of those films where, just as you're getting invested, it ends! But this detail works in favor of "108.1 FM Radio" and the quality of its story, which is undoubtedly successful and has an original touch. While nothing truly new is narrated, with explicit references to "The Hitcher," one can read a satirical critique of the manipulative power of mass media and the perceptual fragility of listeners. In "108.1 FM Radio," the radio is sacrificed as the scapegoat for the broader media landscape, although it is clear that in our society, television is the real target. Media constructs the agenda-setting for viewers, as an old sociological theory teaches us, by prioritizing and giving visibility to a piece of news, suggesting to the viewer that it is of greater importance to the community and thus to the individual. The Capassos seem intent on revisiting this theoretical postulate and demonstrating its practical applicability, thereby creating an interesting and original trigger for paranoia between the two characters. Each of them is led to believe that the other might be the killer mentioned on the radio, and the intriguing part is that one of them could indeed be the killer, as suggested by their ambiguous behaviors. The mechanism works, the experiment is successful. Both actors involved, Dario Biancone and Fabrizio Monaldi, are convincing, although the former, who plays the unwelcoming driver, stands out as more fitting and well-characterized. In conclusion, another success for the Capasso brothers, who with "108.1 FM Radio" deliver an intelligent and well-crafted road thriller that uses suspense to comment on today's society.