These start already in the Greek mythology, and are maintained alive in the existing popular culture and have been well investigated by contemporary researchers such as Roger Caillois with his illuminating book Les Démon de Midi".

De Venuto was influenced by Italian horror movies from the 1970s and the 1980s such as Pupi Avati's The House with Laughing Windows, as well as Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby, Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock, Alejandro Amenabar's The Others, and Hideo Nakata's Ring.

Matt Micucci from Film Ireland praised the movie writing: "...taking into consideration the fact that this is De Venuto’s feature length debut, House of Shadows is quite impressive and it certainly offers fresh and intelligent ideas to a genre that often feels repetitious and lacking in creativity.

"[8] Italian press reviews[9] were positive as well: "…instinctively you feel like you want to applaude in mid-scene to “Controra” and to the young director De Venuto, really brave of her to choose such a well done, disturbing and exciting supernatural thriller for her debut.

In an era of so-called authors, drown in their own contemptuous self-referential idea of cinema, De Venuto, the “Trentina” with Apulian origins, takes her inspiration from the glorious directors of our seventies genre cinema..." (Valerio Capra, Il Mattino) "It is three times curious to watch and recommend a movie like Controra: an Irish-Italy co-production (first curiosity), a movie directed by a female film-maker at her debut (second curiosity), a pure horror genre movie with all the effective frights put at the right time and place (third curiosity).The film-making makes the statues and the corners of the streets frightful and the newcomer Rossella De Venuto masters it very well; the Scottish Fiona Glascott is casting’s best choice; Ray Lovelock, the “beautiful” of the Italian detective-stories, is a living quote."

(Alberto Crespi, l’Unità) "Controra, written by De Venuto and Francesco Piccolo, is enlightened with grace and talent by the Zenith light, which strikes from the open sky and either showers terraces, rooftops, gardens, improvised soccer playgrounds, or silently penetrates dark rooms among tall, precious and frescoed ceilings, antique relics and heavy curtains.

A “presence” that animates places and brings fears to the light..." (Tiziana Lo Porto, Il Venerdì) House of Shadows has been presented at the following film festivals: