Suspiria (2018)

I know that I keep saying that I am going to make more of a concerted effort in writing reviews of the movies I watch or at least, keep you updated on what is listed on the Ringmaster’s Realm over at ETSY. Unfortunately, between kids and then being sick, I haven’t been able to do everything that I wanted to do. That should all change soon, as I am definitely ready to buckle down and knock some stuff out (it also helps that I brought my Mac back to life). With that, the next movie for review is the 2018 remake (reinterpretation) of Suspiria.

Plot/ A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.

I had mixed feelings about this movie when I originally heard about it. I am a huge Argento fan and next to Deep Red, the original Suspiria were my first forays into his works. Because of that, I was unsure how I would feel about this one and wanted to stay away. Now, having finally watched it, what I found was something much better than I could have ever imagined it would be. Yes, this film is not for everyone and will likely fall into the love/hate spectrum of movies. For me, I loved it. While it does lack the transcending beauty of a classic Argento film, the cinematography is amazing; capturing every shot flawlessly, the atmosphere is dark and heavy, the performances are strong, and the soundtrack was a perfect match for the darkness on the screen. Sure, it isn’t the original (which will turn some people off) and some of the elements are difficult to totally put together, but those are easy flaws to overlook. In the end, this version of Suspiria will never overtake the status of the original and shouldn’t. This is a different version of a great story and it should be judged on its own merits. If you have not watched it yet, give it a shot. There are other films out there that are much, much worse.