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Jessica Harper, Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, Stefania Casini, Eva Axen ... see more see more... , Miguel Bosé , Flavio Bucci , Margherita Horowitz , Susanna Javicoli , Udo Kier , Barbara Magnolfi , Fulvio Mingozzi , Renato Scarpa , Giuseppe Transocchi , Renato Zamengo , Rudolf Schündler , Franca Scognetti

A candy-colored nightmare from Italian terror maestro Dario Argento, Suspiria weaves a menacing tale of witchcraft as a fairy tale gone horribly awry. From the moment she arrives in Freiberg, Germany,... read more read more... to attend the prestigious Tans Academy, American ballet-dancer Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper) senses that something horribly evil lurks within the walls of the age-old institution. Ill at ease as the result of her fellow student's peculiar behavior and increasingly terrified following a series of gruesome and spectacular murders, Suzy slowly begins to unravel the dark history of the academy. Convinced that the occult roots of the school and the horrific tale of its founding mother may hold an unthinkable secret, she begins a hallucinatory journey into the black heart of one of the most powerful witches ever known to exist. As Suzy edges ever closer to a secret that may hold the answers to all of her nightmares, the coven's grip on her soul begins to tighten until there is seemingly no escape. Will Suzy solve the mystery of the cursed academy before the fearsome Black Queen consumes her, or will she finally reveal the secret that has forever haunted the lavish corridors of the academy and bring an end to the Black Queen's terrifying reign? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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83% liked it

32,063 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

35 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Dario Argento

Release Date: February 1, 1977

Keywords: horror

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DVD Release Date: September 11, 2001

Stats: 2,927 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,927)

  • fb1664868775
    October 23, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Classic italian horror and the score is great.
  • DrBenway
    October 16, 2011
    DrBenway
    In response to learning of a remake set to be released in 2012, I thought I'd share my opinion of this unique 1977 film. Very few directors have the visual style of Dario Argento, making him very unique as far as directors go. At times it seems as if the plot is in the backgrou... read morend while style and shock are at the forefront. The horror genre has painted itself into a corner by sticking to the same formulas, in some cases outright copying. The genre is uninspired and has lost its' magic.

    Many filmmakers are taking it upon themselves to remake old horror classics (Halloween, Friday the 13th), while the others who venture out are generally stuck making something reminiscent of Saw or The Ring. Let's take a nostalgic trip back to 1977's Suspiria. It's beautiful, spooky and above all, unpredictable. Sure, it may seem timid when held against the shock values of todays films, but those films lack charm. Here, you feel as if you're being told a horrific story by a director who really enjoys scaring you instead of director-for-hire remaking a film about a babysitter tormented by a repeat caller. Suspiria has a Gothic feel laced with a small dose of LSD, appearing hallucinogenic with dramatic lighting effects and unusual camera angles. A classic for sure.

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  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    A haunted ballet school splashed with a bloody barrage of colors and sound, Suspiria is undoubtedly extravagant and bizarre.
  • FilmFanatik
    July 2, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Easily Argento's finest work. Absolutely beautiful art direction, color palette and magnificent score... possibly the best score for a horror film ever. It also has the very lovely Jessica Harper in it, which is always a plus. I have to be honest here and say that I saw this when... read more I was about 16, I think, and it scared the shit of me. Thing is, I keep coming back for more. I'm just addicted to it, and Argento's work in general. Positively gorgeous film.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    May 17, 2011
    LoughnerWasLucid
    pretty dancers stabbed by big sharp knife yea Argento is a master of the expressive uh.. intellectual intricacies of.. film and he uses bright flashful colors to juxtapose the transition of his lush story from point A (girl senses horror abound in the spooky mansion. something de... read morefinitely not right.) to the marvelous point B (girls killed off one by one in many bizzare, intellectually violent, big meat cleaver through the face kinda ways) he is an auteur of the pioneers of the masters at the top of the horror directors of 1976-1978 totem poll and his masterfullness shows through the brilliantosity shown by his... work.
  • matertenebraum
    April 14, 2011
    matertenebraum
    Argento's best known film is probably his most expressive. This is a gem to look at with all it's lush Italian colors seeping out like a blood covered canvas. If you are looking for a horror film for intellectuals, this isn't it, but if you want something that will definitely imp... read moreress you, you've found it. It concerns an old dance company in Freiburg Germany that is headed up by an old witch matriarch who leads the coven in diabolical methods. An unsuspecting student, played wonderfully by Jessica Harper, finds herself piecing together a mystery when she arrives at the school in one of the most enigmatic and beautiful commencements of a film to date. Argento has music, colors, and sounds reverberate like an opera for our eyes to dazzle. He scares us with the rain, the closing of an automatic airport door, and loose tree branches that resemble evil lurking beings. This is one powerful moment. From then on, subtle hints are explored, the supernatural, science, one's faith. Never can we guess what is truly hiding at the academy. One scene of the dance students in the hall is superbly done with loud music, hideous heckling demonic shrieks and strange appearances, this is fantastic eye candy!
  • bottcorecords1
    March 20, 2011
    bottcorecords1
    Dario Argento's "Suspiria" is a weird movie. While that's not necessarily a bad thing (and often times, is a good thing), it's not doing anything to help out this film. I'm not going to lie: the visuals, from the sets to the lighting, are excellent at capturing a certain dream-... read morelike atmosphere, and the music (by the band, "Goblin") is repeatedly driven into your skull like chinese water torture; it's enough to drive you crazy. As incredible as the audio/video stimulation is, it's a poor lack of pacing that slows down the plot. If the effect desired is to create a nitemare trip, then some of the less important scenes should've found their way onto the cutting room floor. Also, I have a particular aversion to highly stylized, seventies slasher gore, I find it to be both cheap, phony and boring. Maybe I'm crazy, but watching someone get stabbed to death and thrown out a window just isn't intrinsically scary to me; maybe the whole "mystery killer" thing is the problem. It's not the act so much as who's committing it that's scary.

    The film takes place in some strange european castle that also serves as an exclusive ballet school. The new girl, an american, is made acutely aware of the strange goings-on at the castle, as two people are murdered her very first night there. From then on, she's put under some sort of spell and people begin dying at random and, then she discovers something and that's it. The end. If you prefer atmosphere to ideas, then this may be your cup of tea. I can't say it was mine.
  • webalina
    February 22, 2011
    webalina
    Creepy, atmospheric, and kinda sick in places (it IS Dario Argento after all), but also confusing and not particularly scary. The dubbing is odd and distracting -- Udo Keir with an American accent just doesn't sit right with me. The soundtrack gets some credit for being eerie and... read more unnerving, but it's too loud and intrusive. I think the film would have fared better with a more subtle score.
  • ajv2688
    January 5, 2011
    ajv2688
    Argento's best movie from what I've seen of his work. The story is creepy and the movie has a great haunting style. I love this movie.
  • sanjurosamurai
    December 14, 2010
    sanjurosamurai
    although i see the quirkiness in this film that endears it to many, i dont see enough here to justify the reputation that this film has as one of the better horror films of all time. the film is all too simple, and while mostly entertaining it doesnt capitalize on its premise li... read moreke it should. at moments the film tries to be charmingly bizarre, but it seems mostly just bizarre.

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Critic Reviews

J. Hoberman
September 1, 2009
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

A movie that makes sense only to the eye (and even then . . .). Full Review

Dave Kehr
March 29, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Argento works so hard for his effects -- throwing around shock cuts, colored lights, and peculiar camera angles -- that it would be impolite not to be a little frightened. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 9, 2005
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Mr. Argento's methods make potentially stomach-turning material more interesting than it ought to be. Full Review

Donald J. Levit
April 29, 2012
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

There is little logic in 'Suspiria,' just the exuberance of individual scenes. Full Review

Rob Humanick
June 26, 2011
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

Encountered as one might a childhood nightmare or a flesh and blood incarnation of a Grimm fairy tale. Full Review

Cole Smithey
February 15, 2011
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

[VIDEO] Dario Argento's sixth film is a textbook example of the horror sub-genre known as "Giallo." Full Review

Jason Best
February 2, 2011
Jason Best, Movie Talk

Italian prog rockers Goblin's tingling, rasping, throbbing score [and] Argento's constantly gliding camera creates an almost unbearable sense of unease and suspense. Full Review

Richard T. Jameson
January 18, 2011
Richard T. Jameson, Parallax View

Anyone but the most hopeless addict to linear neatness and plausibility should be tastily beguiled and tantalized by Suspiria's cavalier disregard for making rational sense. Full Review

Ian Berriman
June 7, 2010
Ian Berriman, SFX Magazine

An eye-popping maelstrom of visual excess. Full Review

Anton Bitel
January 15, 2010
Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

an extravagantly stylised Danse Macabre... a surreally demented fairytale, and one of very few films that occupies the no-man's-land between charnel house and arthouse. Full Review

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    • Sara: And on a restricted diet, they give you wine?
    • Suzy Bannion: That's professor Verdegast's idea. Says i'tll build up my blood.
    • Olga: Susie. Sarah. I once read that names which begin with the letter 'S' are the names of SNAKES!
  • The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92.
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Suspiria Trivia

  • Which Dario Argento horror movie is widely considered as his most famous and features a ballet school governed by witches?  Answer »
  • What actress had a role in Suspiria and Minority Report?  Answer »
  • who played suzy banyon in suspiria  Answer »
  • The following tagline is from which 1977 horror film: "The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92."  Answer »
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