The Cinematheque

“Long admired in cult circles, Suspiria stands as one of the most visually striking horror films ever made, and the high-water mark of a first-rate splatter stylist.”

Scott Tobias, The A.V. Club

The stuff of nightmares is elevated to a high art in Dario Argento’s gorgeous and gory magnum opus, an immutable classic of Euro Horror that has spawned countless imitators and, coming in November, a much-buzzed-about remake by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). Like a Grimm Fairy Tale on acid, Suspiria sees doe-eyed American ballet student Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) enter a wiccan world of supernatural evil—and gloriously excessive neon—after arriving at a prestigious dance academy deep in the Black Forest of Germany. When a pair of classmates are gruesomely murdered by an unseen assailant, Suzy scrambles to uncover a sinister conspiracy before she, too, is sent six feet under in some unsavory way. Argento, conducting a veritable masterclass in over-the-top aestheticism, peppers the proceedings with eye-searing set pieces and surreal, viscera-churning terror. The iconic score by Italian prog-rock royalty Goblin is near-sacred among horror-soundtrack connoisseurs.