Released: November 2018
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Run Time: 152 Minutes
Rated R
Distributor: Lionsgate Studios/Amazon Studios
Genre: Horror/Fantasy
Cast:
Dakota Johnson: Susie Bannion
Tilda Swinton: Madame Blanc/Helena Markos/Dr. Josef Klemperer
Mia Goth: Sara
Chloe Grace Moretz: Patricia
Angela Winkler: Miss Tanner
2018 was a HUGE year for horror movies: Hereditary, Upgrade, Annihilation, Halloween, and A Quiet Place just to name a few. While there were definitely sequels, we really didn’t see a whole lot of remakes this year. Now, I’ve gone on record multiple times on how I feel about remakes, so I won’t bother repeating myself about them…..again. That being said, originality in horror has seen a bit of a resurgence. Some of the films that I just mentioned aren’t tied to any other movies, but really stand on their own as they should. The ones that I mentioned are really good and are proof that original horror films can still happen and still be fairly successful. Every once in a while, you will see a remake of a much older film. There was a remake that came out in November that a number of people were not sure of: Suspiria.
Suspiria follows American dancer Susie Bannion as she travels to Berlin to become a part of a legendary dance company. Noticing Susie’s natural talent for dancing, the company’s head, Madame Blanc takes Susie under her wing and begins to train her to take part in one of the company’s popular dance routines. Shortly after, strange things begin to happen as one of the dancers accuse the company’s leaders of being witches because of the disappearance of a fellow dancer. That’s as far as I’m going to go with the plot, because there’s a lot of weaving in and out of various plot points. It’s not too difficult to follow, but this is a very strange movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. I’ll be honest: I haven’t seen Dario Argento’s original film, so I really don’t have anything that I can compare this to. I ordered Argento’s film last night from Amazon, so as soon as that film shows up, I will deliver a review of that and deliver a final verdict on which is the better film. That being said, the story here is very interesting as it deals with witchcraft in a fairly realistic fashion. One thing that stands out to me with the film is that the narrative has a 6-act structure, which is very unusual for a movie, but in some strange way, it works. Normally, I would bring up the pace and the run time of the film later on in the review, but now would probably be the best time to bring it up. This is a two-and-a-half hour film. That’s pretty lengthy for a horror film, and that may turn people off. For me, it flew by.
Let’s get this out of the way: Suspiria is not your average horror movie. It has more of a focus on the story and characters than most people are used to. That being said, it still is a horror movie, and when the horror hits, it hits really hard. In one scene, a dancer that wants to leave the company gets trapped in a room with mirrors and as Susie dances, we see this dancer get literally all twisted out of shape, and it is a pretty disturbing thing to see, because its not a quick scene. It’s meant to linger. The problem for a lot of horror fans is that the horror stuff doesn’t happen very often. In fact, it takes a while between events to get to the next one. This isn’t that kind of movie and some people are not going to bother with it. I definitely get it. Two and a half hours is a very long time for a horror movie and it’s just not going to work for everyone. Personally, I loved the fact that it spaced out those horrific moments. It gives you a little bit of time to breather and process what you just saw. This scene that I just mentioned also highlights one of the more interesting aspects of the film. These dance routines are a disguise for the spell-casting that’s going on. This is not the “in-your-face” magic that you see from other supernatural films. This is a far more subtle and nuanced take on the idea of witchcraft.
This film is surprisingly hypnotic. While the film may seem to drag on at times, it’s still manages to keep your eyes glued to the screen. A lot of that also has to do with the dancing that’s going on. It’s a very different kind of dancing that feels very ritualistic in nature. The choreography is simply amazing. A lot of how it works has to deal with the actual performances in the film. I have to tell you, the acting in this film is extraordinary. Dakota Johnson plays Susie, the American dancer. She’s really good, even though her character seems to not be all that consequential, but there’s a reason for that and I won’t spoil it for you. Tilda Swinton, though, almost steals the show. She has no less than three roles that she plays in the film. The first is that of Madame Blanc, the head of the dance company. Second is Dr. Josef Klemperer. Tilda is no stranger to playing men, given how she actually looks. I mean that with no disrespect. In fact, I like the fact that she’s able to convincingly play both men and women. In that regard, Tilda Swinton is a real chameleon. The third role she plays is that of Helena Markos, the actual leader of the coven, but you don’t see that character until towards the end of the film. Everybody else in the film does a really good job with their roles, but the standouts here are Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.
From a visual standpoint, Suspiria really stands out. This film is set in 1977 Berlin, so there’s a kind of a bleak and grey look throughout the film that adds to the creepy and dark vibe that you get from the film. The use of color in movies like this is extremely important, because it fits in with what’s happening on the screen. The final 30 minutes of the film are insane. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but the use of color and the violent imagery are very, very vivid. It’s a beautifully haunting and grotesque film that you can’t turn away from. I have to give credit to Luca Guadagnino, the director for delivering a really solid and powerful horror film, considering that he’s never really made a horror movie before.
While I’m definitely singing the film’s praises, not everybody is going to like the film the way I did. Again, the film is long, and there are large stretches where nothing appears to happen. For people who aren’t willing to pay attention, they’re going to get lost and disinterested. For people who aren’t a big fan of gore and graphic nudity are going to have to go somewhere else, because there’s a lot of that in this film, particularly the last 30 minutes. It’s all done for a purpose and not just shock value, but it is something to consider if you’re looking for that’s a little more…..traditional. Dario Argento himself has come out recently saying that he doesn’t care for the film itself, even though he credits the director for being a good director. As I stated before, I haven’t seen the original Suspiria, so I have no basis for comparison. I’m taking this film on its own merits, of which there are many. If you have the patience and the stomach for it, there’s a hell of a lot to like here.
My Final Recommendation: Don’t go near dance companies. They could be a cover for witches(not really, I’m just being facetious). 9/10.