"Why is everyone so ready to think the worst is over?"
Indeed. In 2018, someone remade Dario Argento's cult classic Suspiria (1977). More a re-envisioning, it won several awards, polarized critics, and largely failed at the box office.
In 1977, an abused girl joins an elite dance school in Germany which, we immediately suspect and eventually learn, is run by a coven of witches. Meanwhile, an analyst's investigation into a missing student uncovers dark secrets. The opening will seem familiar to fans of the original movie, though we're in a dark world of muted colours, in contrast to the source material's brightly-hued dream/nightmare. Whereas the original leaves much unexplained (or even unexplainable), this film has more backstory than contemporary physics or a long-running comic-book, and it wants to expose all of it.
The witches, in particular, have been developed into something unexpected. The concept of dance as spell-casting strikes me as clever but, as Suspiria develops, trying to weave its own peculiar spell, we realize the departures from the typical witch-cult narrative and, certainly, the original film, go much deeper than the choreography. The exploration of those mysteries generally works, frequently leaves us unsettled, and provides more than enough for one movie.
The filmmakers did not stop there. Suspiria runs more than two-and-one-half hours, and explores numerous avenues involving at least three connected plots. It offers commentary on specific events from the late 1970s, when it takes place, and on the horrific legacy of the Nazi era. It offers thematic reflections on abuse, collective guilt, repression, the role of women, and numerous other topics. It also wants to be an arthouse-friendly horror movie, a sinister mystery, a character study, a commentary on religion, and a reasonable successor to its cult horror inspiration.
That's not a movie. That's a series. It might have made a fascinating series. As a film it's bloated. The mysteries are compelling, but the film ultimately collapses under the weight of its aspirations.
Individual elements, it must be said, work quite well. Several scenes will remain in viewers' minds, perhaps longer than they desire. The film features production undreamt-of by the makers of the original, and impressive visual effects. These have been created with a blend of practical techniques, CGI, and the use of real dancers and contortionists. The experimental score, by Radiohead's Thom Yorke, works as an integral part of the experience.
We also have strong performances by the (large) cast, delivered in both English and German. Tilda Swinton gets all the points for her roles, which include a female choreographer/witch and a male analyst who stumbles onto a mystery.1 She also reportedly contributed ideas as a sort of artistic collaborator.
Sinister and foreboding gives way to cluttered and chaotic, before the final twists bring a comparatively original interpretation to the film's occult activity. It's not enough to save Suspiria, but there remains much in this re-envisioning to ponder.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Written by David Kajganich
Inspired by Suspiria by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Tilda Swinton as Dr. Klemperer / Madame Blanc / Helena Markos
Chloë Grace Moretz as Patricia Hingle
Dakota Johnson as Susie Bannion
Doris Hick as Frau Sesame
Malgorzata Bela as Susie's Mother / Death
Angela Winkler as Miss Tanner
Vanda Capriolo as Alberta
Alek Wek as Miss Millius
Jessica Batut as Miss Mandel
Elena Fokina as Olga
Mia Goth as Sara
Clémentine Houdart as Miss Boutaher
Ingrid Caven as Miss Vendegast
Sylvie Testud as Miss Griffith
Fabrizia Sacchi as Pavla
Brigitte Cuvelier as Miss Kaplitt
Renée Soutendijk as Miss Huller
Christine Leboutte as Miss Balfour
Vincenza Modica as Miss Marks
Marjolaine Uscotti as Miss Daniels
Charo Calvo as Miss Killen
Sharon Campbell as Miss Martincin
Elfriede Hock as Miss Mauceri
Iaia Ferri as Judith
Gala Moody as Caroline
Sara Sguotti as Doll
Olivia Ancona as Marketa
Anne-Lise Brevers as Sonia
Halla Thordardottir as Mascia
Stephanie McMann as Siobhan
Majon Van der Schot as Janine
Maria Bregianni as Sadie
Josepha Madoki as Liza Jane
Navala "Niko" Chaudhari as Marianne
Karina El Amrani as Hermione
Mikael Olsson as Agent Glockner
Fred Kelemen as Agent Albrecht
Greta Bohacek as Young Susie
Jessica Harper as Anke2
Joel-Dennis Bienstock as Mennonite Priest
1. The credits identify one "Lutz Ebersdorf" in the role of Klemperer, and many viewers did not recognize the American actress in the role of an older German man.
2. Jessica Harper played Susie in the original film.
Horrorquest 2021