‘Suspiria’ Trailer Is Released, Plus Here’s A Review Of One Of The Best Avant-Garde Horror Movies
The trailer has finally been released for one of the most highly anticipated horror movies of 2018, Suspiria. Dario Argento’s original was considered one of the scariest horror movies of its time (some would argue that it’s still just as frightening by today’s standards), and fans have been anxious as to what Luca Guadagnino’s reimagined Suspira will bring. Fans can now get a glimpse of what they can look forward to from Luca’s upcoming film set to be released on November 2.
The trailer for the reimagined Suspiria, the Latin word for sighs, is certainly intense. Fans of the 1977 picture will likely appreciate the whispers, the familiar maggots, and a glimpse of what appears to be the Black Queen. As the Inquisitr recently reported, the movie took a toll on lead actor Dakota Johnson who sought therapy after filming. Featuring creepy visuals equally matched by the backing score, the trailer doesn’t feature any dialogue.
Suspiria 2018 Trailer And Synopsis
As the Inquisitr recently documented, Tilda Swinton described this as a reimagining rather than a remake. While the new film is certainly inspired by the original, horror fans can look forward to the story being taken in a different direction. The vague plot below, which almost mirrors the original, doesn’t reveal what new directions it will take, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until November to find out.
Rotten Tomatoes provides the synopsis for what looks to be one of the most unsettling horror movies of 2018.
“A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the troupe’s artistic director [Tilda Swinton], an ambitious young dancer [Dakota Johnson], and a grieving psychotherapist [Lutz Ebersdorf]. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.”
Review Of The 1977 Classic
This was the first film of Dario Argento’s The Three Mothers trilogy (Inferno, The Mother of Tears). Each film deals with one of the three witches, described as “mothers,” who uses dark magic to manipulate the world. While many of his horror features are certainly popular, none have reached the celebration or fame as this one. The film was trimmed down to avoid an X-rating in the U.S., and it is currently streaming for free on Tubi TV.
Suspiria has inspired many films, even outside horror, and it will likely motivate many more to come beyond the reimagined picture. From the innovative Goblin soundtrack to the use of colors, Dario Argento’s renowned horror picture is an avant-garde masterpiece, and it is also historic. As Mental Floss documented, Suspiria was the final film to be processed in three-strip Technicolor, the same process that provided pulsating colors for The Wizard of Oz and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Argento specifically named the animated feature when describing what he wanted parts of the film to look like).
With a runtime of 97 minutes, this is a quick view and very rewatchable. The above modern synopsis essentially describes this one, but this film is centered on a famous ballet academy in Germany, the American dancer, Suzie, is portrayed by Jessica Harper (who also co-stars in the 2018 movie), and the academy’s director, Madame Blanc, is played by Joan Bennett. Harper turned down a smaller role in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall to star in this film, and horror fans are very grateful for that. Her look and the way she plays Suzie is the quintessence of innocence, and this certainly adds to the tension of the movie when our heroine is in peril.
This horror flick doesn’t take long to start the suspense. As Suzie arrives to the Tanz Dance Academy in a cab, she sees a young woman, Pat, running away from it through the woods, and this should have been her first clue to turn around. Pat takes refuge at her friend’s apartment, says that something terrible is inside the dance academy, and locks herself in the bathroom. A mysterious figure then smashes through the bathroom window and stabs Pat to death, and we’re off to the races.
Suzy learns of Pat’s demise, and strange things start to occur soon thereafter; she becomes sick and is put on a special diet (diets are never a good thing in horror movies), the academy becomes infested with maggots (never a good thing anywhere), and creepy sounds ensue, as do more murders. As Suzy continues to investigate the mysterious happenings, she learns that the school used to be a witches’ coven and starts to fear that it still is.
The tension never lessens once Suspiria grabs hold, and a newcomer to this horror gem is likely to find the suspense just as creepy as modern horror movies, if not more so. The female-led cast largely give solid performances, and it’s refreshing to see that at least some of the classic horror movies depicted strong women. Men are largely absent from this movie, and when they do appear, they are either worthless or blind.
The finale builds like an orchestra’s crescendo and ends abruptly. Suzie does indeed solve the mystery, but some feel the ending was too sudden and didn’t answer enough questions (welcome to the world of Dario Argento). Though this is a quick watch, there is a lot of subtle information to gather along the way. Most audiences were confused during a first viewing, and even if you were to revisit it a dozen times, the confusion will probably remain for the most part.
Like most slasher movies, Suspiria isn’t a perfect film, though it’s close. There is the common horror trope of characters making poor decisions that cost them their lives; aside from the leads, not all the acting is award-worthy; and the ending sequences could have gone on a bit longer after an incredible build. But most of these are to be expected with the slasher subgenre, and Suspiria still remains one of the most stylish, creepy, and entertaining horror movies of all time.
