Suspiria

Luca's "Suspiria" brought me no words.

The horror in this movie is not like anything else I've ever heard or seen. The sheer film in Luca's "Suspiria" is not like anything that is made by major movie studios such as Columbia, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Disney, and the like. Director Luca Guadagnino transitioning from the LGBTQ+ drama adaptation "Call Me By Your Name" — transitioning to the avant-garde, psychological study in his version of famed director Dario Argento's 1977 "Suspiria".

Horror movies today don't scare me. Horror movies of the 21st century seem to be involved in so much gratuitous gore, typical plotlines, a roulette set of actors playing quasi-characterization, varying degress of quality. Luca's "Suspiria" — a horror movie from 2018 — did not scare me. Luca's "Suspiria" unnerved me. Luca's "Suspiria" built slowly in tension, but also captivated me with raw interest — "Suspiria" dealt its final blow, finishing with a nightmarish sixth act and an epilogue.

Argento's "Suspiria" is a movie out of time in its own way. Argento's "Suspiria", a film released in 1977, looks fresh and modern — Argento's "Suspiria"'s fixation on primary neon colors and gore — Argento's "Suspiria" with prog-rock, percussion score by the band Goblin. Director Dario Argento, however, does not like Luca's "Suspiria". Director Dario Argento claims it is without spirit, fear and music — Argento thinks the design is beautiful, so Guadagnino must have done something right.

Luca's "Suspiria" is a movie unlike anything out of sheer audacity to become its own. Luca's "Suspiria" in the way it handles narrative into six different, self-contained "acts" ending with an epilogue — Luca's "Suspiria" in its washed-out, bleak setting complementing queer, disenfranchised coloring and nonconforming visual narrative — Luca's "Suspiria" with its brooding realism, mysterious witchcraft and black magic — Luca's "Suspiria" with mesmerizing visuals; unexplained syntax; self-contained exposu...

Politically juvenile, with a troubling approach to the Feminine, but it's certainly convinced of its own profundity

It did not excite me, it betrayed the spirit of the original film: there is no fear, there is no music. The film has not satisfied me so much.

• Dario Argento's assessment of Suspiria; Un Giorno da Pecora (January 18, 2019)

Released in 1977, Dario Argento's giallo classic Suspiria (the first part of his Tre madri [Three Mothers] trilogy) has a plot you could fit on a stamp – a young American dancer goes to the famous Tanz Dance Academy in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, only to find it's a front for a witches coven. That's it, and as the film barely leaves the confines of the Academy, there is no contextualising of the plot against any kind of socio-political background. By no means is it a good film, with terrible acting, a dire script, and laughable effects, but it's immensely enjoyable, partly because it's genuinely creepy in places, but mainly because it doesn't take itself too seriously; the filmmakers know it's nothing more than a surreal, gaudy, style-over-substance, shock-for-shock's sake, Grand Guignol head-trip, and they lean into that identity rather than trying to transcend it. Luca Guadagnino's remake (yes folks, it's a remake) is the polar opposite – it has an intricate plot covering all manner of themes and topics, featuring several new characters, and setting everything against a complex socio-political background; the acting and effects are excellent; it takes itself very, very seriously; and it continually tries to prove to the viewer that it is much more than a piece of kitsch horror. According to Guadagnino, his version of Suspiria is a "homage" to the "powerful emotions" of the original (it's a remake), whilst actress Tilda Swinton calls it "a cover version" (it's a remake). The real question, however, is not how similar or dissimilar it is to Argento. The real question is whether the film is a b...

I have never seen original Suspiria, but saw this remake and all I can say - it had very unique atmosphere. It was different from a mainstream horror movies. It's not for everyone. If you're fan of SAW with lots of gore or even Conjuring series with lots of makeup and effects, you might not like this movie. Here most important part plays music, dance, places & characters involved in witchcraft that together creates creepy atmosphere. Movie is quite long and if you watch it at night and especially alone, it will give you effect of a nightmare dream. It's one of those weird movies that only few people understand and love.

This movie is an abomination. I truly wish this hadn’t been labelled a remake and had just been something new that was inspired by Suspiria or something. Imagine taking the most beautiful movie in the world and being like why don’t I make this ugly as hell. It’s also ridiculously long. One of my most hated movies.

Inspite of Argento's dissatisfaction, Suspiria (by Guadagnino) is an evocative reinterpretation. Maybe it is the original creator's prerogative to criticize the execution when remaking classic cinema, peronally, I find the criticism also takes itself too seriously.

Reimagination through the milieu (post-war Germany) affords a shift in depth and focus without complicating the narrative with self-referentiality. Although details have been torn apart for lack of relevance, to my mind, if the director chose any setting, naivety or irrelevance would still be the low-hanging fruit of critics. The film simply doesn't strive to show a connection, and contextual elements are illustrated with proportionate gravity and relevance.

If one has to draw comparisons, there are diametric opposites in many ways. Mainly through through cinematography. No doubt Argento's inspired so much that followed and this ultimately binds it to the genre it inspired. Four decades later, we have a histrionic period drama fused with a supernatural fable forming (unwanted) homage to Argento's suspense, as cinema for today's audience.

I loved the original score by Goblin and others they did for Argento and Romero. The selective moods created by Thom Yorke, incidentally harmonic vocals and creepy piano motifs fit. Visual stylistic references to Argento are the use of light, costume and retro decor which jarrs to effect but again, is not out of place.

In terms of conceptual themes, I think it did well. Perhaps it is not something that everyone will he happy with. Then again, it's not trying to please everyone nor explain connections between a timeless demonic coven in post-war Germany. Let it wash over you and you might feel its crestfallen tones and realism.

It's not a faithful rendition of the original movie. However, this movie is still entertaining with its further world-building to the cult of witches, which is something I wished for more of in the original.

65/100

An American girl gains entry into an extremely exclusive dance school in 1977. But perhaps it's far more than a school and what is it hiding in its hidden corridors? You have to work pretty hard to figure this out. With a length of 2 1/2 hours, I was impressed that it kept me engaged enough to where it seemed much shorter and I did like the unique style and look of it. I felt the photography of the ritual was terrible, though; dark red, flashing with the cameras over-cranked ...I may have liked it if it wasn't so nauseating. More clarification would have been nice, as well. -- DrNostromo.com