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Ray Liotta, Gloria Reuben, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Daniel Kash, Lisa Owen ... see more see more... , Irene Miracle , Leigh McCloskey , Eleonora Giorgi , Daria Nicolodi , Alida Valli , Feodor Chaliapin Jr. , Ryan Hilliard , Veronica Lazar , Fulvio Mingozzi , Sacha Pitoëff , Gabriele Lavia , Anja Pieroni , Leopoldo Mastelloni , Rodolfo Lodi , Paolo Paoloni

In this suspense thriller, a man with amnesia finds that the more he remembers, the more dangerous his life becomes. A man (Ray Liotta) stranded in a desert wasteland awakens with no memory of who he ... read more read more...is or how he got there. Looking for shelter among the burning sands, the man finds the home of Vicky (Gloria Reuben), an artist. Vicky takes him in, and with her help, the man begins to reassemble the shards of his memory in an effort to reconstruct his past. He eventually remembers that his name is Jack, and that he recently came into a large amount of money, which he can't find. However, it takes a while for Jack to realize that he was a gangster, and that several of his old business associates want to see him dead. Inferno was also released under the title Pilgrim, and features Armin Mueller-Stahl, Daniel Kash, and Lisa Owen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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62% liked it

6,811 ratings

Critics

55% liked it

11 critics

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Dario Argento

Release Date: May 1, 1980

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DVD Release Date: April 25, 2000

Stats: 490 reviews

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'Inferno' Daria Nicolodi in 'Inferno' Eleonora Giorgi in 'Inferno' On the set of 'Inferno' Inferno Inferno 'Inferno' The Bavas and Agento on the set of 'Inferno' Inferno 'Inferno' Inferno Irene Miracle in 'Inferno' Inferno Inferno Inferno Inferno Inferno Inferno
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Flixster Reviews (490)

  • flixsterman
    January 25, 2012
    flixsterman
    It's all in the details. Argento exaggerates the nuances nearly, but not quite, to the point of distraction. His exorbitant use of red and blue lighting gives Inferno its other-worldly, nightmarish appeal which seems to make the horror more visceral and effective.
  • SirPant
    December 23, 2011
    SirPant
    Creepy and stylish but slightly lacking that Dario Argento flare. Gaillo is where his real strengths are and thankfully that's what he stuck to after this but Inferno does have some very memorable scenes - it's just a little bit dull in places.
  • pier007
    December 14, 2011
    pier007
    The sequel to 'suspiria' is somewhat dissapointing, not only because it gives all the importance to style than plot (a constant in italian cinema) but because the plot doesn't make any sense, the so called characters could have been played by puppets, they're flat entities, figur... read morees used as excuse for later mutilation, in common or unimaginative ways. Only in a few aspects one can appreciate the talent behind Argento, his visual storytelling (relying more in pictures than dialogues), the kaleydoscopic cinematography; and the weird, nightmarish atmosphere.
  • ajv2688
    October 8, 2011
    ajv2688
    Another good mystery from Argento. I want to watch it again, though, I wasn't giving it my full attention. But I did like the movie, it has Argento's style and a good amount of blood and gore.
  • ceWEBrity
    June 25, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    A totally acceptable slice of surreal Argento horror, but it's obviously inferior to Suspiria on just about every level possible. The use of reds and blues is the worst; so effective in the former film's winding, disorienting halls, Argento and his cinematographer here seemed con... read moretent to slather them all over the place with no rhyme or reason. They're attention-grabbing, all right...but to what end? Surely they aren't bringing any sort of emphasis to that mundane conversation in the antique store. Similarly, the music is a flimsy patch on Goblin's unique score for Suspiria, sounding far more aged and repetitive. Poorly cued and difficult to take seriously, it almost never adds to what's happening on screen. The acting and presentation of exposition are typical for Argento, which is a gentle way of saying "bad," and we leave Inferno with a sense of overwhelming futility. In the end, very little is accomplished, and the hero almost completely fails in his ultimate goal.

    The great thing about his films in this era, though, is that none of this really matters much. What we bear witness to is so bizarre and unmatched, in their time or any other, that it simply imprints itself onto your brain. It's frightening in spasms, ridiculous otherwise, and almost guaranteed to be an entertaining use of your hour and a half. This film's blissful fusion of the beautiful and the inept isn't going to be defended as a masterpiece, and it definitely doesn't have the creative energy or insane aesthetic risk-taking that Suspiria did, but it's worth watching for any horror fan.
  • matertenebraum
    April 14, 2011
    matertenebraum
    Inferno is Dario Argento's follow up to Suspiria. It's a loose sequel that epitomises both the strengths and weaknesses of its director. It's probably the weirdest film that Argento ever directed. And its one that divides his fans like no other. One thing is certain though - if y... read moreou require your movies to be plot-driven, coherent and with fully-rounded characters then there is a very good chance you will hate this.

    The story, such as it is, concerns a couple of evil female entities that hold sway over two apartment blocks in Rome and New York; the 3rd of this trio of 'Three Mothers' was Elena Markos from the previous film, Suspiria. What follows is a series of bizarre, violent and mysterious events that revolve around these evil women.

    Inferno is, above all, beautiful to look at. It's overflowing with gorgeous widescreen compositions full of the amazing Bavaesque colour design that made Suspiria so memorable. Unnatural primary colours abound here. It really is glorious. And to complement this, the décor is of a brilliant bad-taste gaudy aesthetic that creates an atmosphere all of its own. This ambiance is assisted by the soundtrack provided by Keith Emerson. Again, in line with Argento's previous movies, there is a prog-rock element to proceedings at times but it's when Emerson adopts a more subtle approach that he is most successful. In particular, the piano driven main theme is beautiful. There is some thumping Euro prog-rock also, and although I like it for its cheese factor, I can't help but think that it doesn't fit in very well at times. But overall, Emerson does a fine job on this movie, creating a nice alternative to the more intense Goblin score from Suspiria.

    One clear weakness in Inferno, however, is the acting. The performances are universally poor. I think the dubbing may be partly to blame though, as it's more noticeably bad in this movie than in any other Argento film. Although it has to be said that the dubbing does create an odd layer of detachment that does make proceedings even weirder than they were already. Nevertheless, Leigh McCloskey is a bland central figure and I can't help but think that the film would be much improved with a better lead. In fairness, no one in this movie is particularly good but I think that it has to be said that the script doesn't help, as it has quite a number of unintentionally silly lines that don't make the actors look too good. Inferno is perhaps the ultimate example of Argento using actors as props. His indifference to them here is entirely blatant.

    The story is almost non-existent. The plot only serves to link the bravura set-pieces together. There are extremely few exposition scenes; so few that the film does appear incoherent at times. But then, logic is not something that Argento is in the least bit concerned with here; only the logic of nightmares has any relevance in Inferno. That said, some of the bizarre coincidences that happen are a bit overly silly, such as when Sara asks the librarian where the 'Three Mothers' book is, she is told it's right behind her or when Mark knocks a hole in the floor and finds Varelli's scroll immediately below him - these events are probably supposed to be freaky supernatural coincidences but kind of come across as being a little laughable to be honest. But mostly the strangeness of Inferno works a treat. Unlike Argento's later film Phenomena the weirdness is maintained throughout with an admirable commitment. In Phenomena there were many scenes that were set in realistic settings with fairly normal dialogue. This worked to its detriment, making the bizarre aspects look out of place and at times silly. Inferno has no such realistic scenes or settings. It's always surreal. Right from the word go this is a film that throws you off-balance. The scene in the underwater room is a key example. It's incredibly strange and brilliantly done. But really, it's just the start, as no matter where we go in this film things are always very, very odd. Each location, no matter how normal, becomes menacing - the apartment blocks, Kazanian's shop, the music school, the library and Central Park. Evil is everywhere in Inferno and Argento is unrestrained in depicting it in all it's excessive glory. Although there are a couple of graphic deaths, Inferno is really nowhere near as violent as Suspiria, Deep Red or Tenebrae. It's very much more an exercise in style and suspense.

    For better or for worse Inferno is pure Argento. It's an absolute exercise in horror that does not allow logic to get in the way. This is a film that could only have been made in Italy. It has virtually no plot but is 100% cinema. This could only work in the cinematic medium. So, check-in your sense of logic and surrender yourself to the beautiful madness that is Inferno.
  • WrenchLT
    January 12, 2011
    WrenchLT
    Argento's follow-up to the classic Suspiria. Quite creepy, atmospheric, stylish with the occassional moment of violence. A lot of times you'll be wondering what the hell is going on, so this may be frustrating viewing for some, but I still enjoyed it. Not as good as Suspiria.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 10, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Inferno is director Dario Argento's second offering in the three mothers trilogy, the first being Suspiria and the third being Mother Of Tears. Inferno is a less solidly crafted work compared to Suspiria, which along with Deep Red is Argento's finest film. The idea of the second ... read morefilm in the trilogy is a fairly good one, but at times I felt confused and the story was a bit hard to follow. But I understood the plot well enough and in the end, it didn't really deliver the thrills that Suspiria did. Inferno is still a good Argento film, but it's far from his best too. The story of the film was good, but as far as a sequel to Suspiria is concerned Inferno doesn't exactly meet the standards set by that film. Overall a decent little horror flick, better by a long shot than the third instalment.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    While it's nowhere near as fun or as well made as Suspiria, it's not a bad sequel. There's a lot to like: Flesh-Eating rats, cat drownings, a Guillotine death and one of the creepiest underwater scenes. I liked the idea of the story being dispersed through many characters instead... read more of just one because the deaths are more shocking that way. It travels a lot farther into the bizarre than it's predecessor, which can seem wonky at times. Overall, it's an enjoyable film and has more exploration into the three sisters.
  • Stinger839
    March 9, 2009
    Stinger839
    I like this WAAAAY better than Suspiria and I dun care whats peoples gots to say bout dat!

    I'm not saying it's a better film (I'd have to rescreen both multiple times to determine that) but I prefer it, and is under-rated for not being as popular as Suspiria.

    As usual for Arge... read morento productions, the sets and lighting are astonishing and beautiful. Unusual for Argento, this movie is quite plotted while also maintaining Argento's signature impressionist style. I found this story to be the most revealing of the "Three Mothers" trilogy. There is too much good to be said about this film. Favorite scenes: the submerged room in the cellar, following sounds through the elaborate pipe system, the library closing scene, the end sequence (which gives the film its name).

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Critic Reviews

Walter Chaw
October 30, 2011
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

second-tier stuff Full Review

Anton Bitel
September 14, 2010
Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

the ending, while certainly fulfilling the title's promise, disappoints with its cheap parlour tricks and cheesy Halloween costumery. Full Review

Steve Biodrowski
July 4, 2008
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter

This film is a fascinating and frustrating phantasmagoria of the mysterious and the unexplained, a strange journey into realms beyond human understanding, where events happen without rhyme or reason, ... Full Review

Ken Hanke
June 15, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Visually striking, utterly incoherent, largely enjoyable.

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
February 28, 2002
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

[Argento's] stories are not supposed to make sense, but we can at least ask them to be watchable. Full Review

Ed Gonzalez
December 4, 2001
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

More so than any other Argento film, this one is for the fans. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 18, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Nicolas Lacroix
November 12, 2002
Nicolas Lacroix, Showbizz.net

No review available.

John Esther
October 3, 2002
John Esther, Pasadena Weekly

No review available.

Christopher Null
February 24, 2002
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Click to read the article Full Review

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