Director – Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash, Call Me by Your Name)
Starring – Dakota Johnson (21 Jump Street, Fifty Shades of Grey), Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange, Constantine), and Doris Hick (The Mixer, Slider)
Release Date – 2018
Rating – 4/5
When it comes to Italian horror I often find myself going with Lucio Fulci over anyone else. His films are legendary in terms of story, gore, and so on. However, when someone mentions Italian horror my mind immediately goes to Dario Argento’s classic Suspiria. Fucli is my go to but Suspiria is what I judge all Italian films by. The movie is damn near perfect. It is visually stunning, the cast is amazing, and the story is like crack. Once you start you are hooked.
A few years ago a remake was announced. Everyone bitched and moaned but I couldn’t wait to see it. If the remake sucked I still had the original but it was awesome I now have two Suspiria flicks to check out. When the film hit blu I reached out and requested a review copy and was lucky enough to get one.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a young woman who auditions for a dancing school. She is from a deeply religious family and wants to break away from her dark childhood and do something she is passionate about. She aces the audition and is allowed to dance for the company. When the lead dancer is forced to quit she finds herself in her spot but quickly realizes that there is something much darker in the school and she is tied to them in a way that she cannot explain.**Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one expecting to like it but not expecting it to be better than the original film. For the most part I was right. The film was damn good and almost as enjoyable as the first film.
The acting in this one is fantastic. Dakota Johnson is absolutely phenomenal in her role. Her role is very demanding but she destroys the role. She does a fantastic job and really makes the film as enjoyable as it is. Tilda Swinton does great as well. She takes on multiple roles in the film and does a fantastic job with them. We also get a very small role from former child star turned amazing actress Chloe Grace Mortez. She has starred in several amazing horror films and it was great seeing her in this one I just wish that her role was bigger than it was. The supporting cast is great as well and all the characters were great.
The story for this one takes what we get from the original film with a little more add to it and it works. The movie does move at a snails pace but it doesn’t waste time with the character development and moving the story along. Once the story hits around the halfway point it picks up and doesn’t slow down. The writing is tight but the film is a little lengthy.
Finally, the film has several on screen kills. We get some amazing practical effects and gags that are gruesome but the film also has some of the worst visual effects I’ve seen in the last few years. Overall, Suspiria is a damn good movie. It is one of the better remakes and this film is phenomenal. Fans of the original need to check this one out. It is well worth your time.
