Suspiria (2018 Review)
Suspiria Proves Witches Be Trippin’.
Named for the 1977 Dario Argento it’s based on, Suspiria tackles the dark and twisted world of interpretive dance in the heart of Berlin. It’s a horror film in it’s most raw and visceral form that explores the truly terrifying nature of witchcraft used for the forces of evil. Moreover, Suspiria is a movie that exposes just how horrifying interpretive dance really is. I know there was a reason why I was never a big fan of it and Suspiria has finally shown me why. In all seriousness though, Suspiria is a movie that’s hard to watch and that’s a perfect reflection of the themes at the core of its story. For me though, the only question is if it’s worth the watch, given how difficult the experience can be at times.
Suspiria tells the tale of a dance studio during the height of the Cold War in Berlin. This is not an ordinary dance studio though as strange goings-on happen on a daily basis and girls have even gone missing. At the center is Dakota Johnson who plays a fledgling dancer who joins the studio under the tutelage of Tilda Swinton. As Johnson’s character grows ever stronger and more in tune with the natures that guide her dancing it becomes clear that the Swinton and the women who run the academy are up to no good. However, these women who are so used being in control of those who oppose them soon find that their time at the top of the food chain might be coming to an end.
To say that director Luca Guadagnino is a fan of Dario Argento would be an understatement since this remake of Suspiria feels like it’s from the 1970’s (when the first film took place). It features a warm, grainy aesthetic (similar to The Old Man & The Gun), and takes a very subjective approach to the camera work. Because of this, the film is filled with movement. Guadagnino especially enjoys the stylized zooms that so many old-fashioned horror movies employed to shock viewers with sudden revelations of characters or supernatural elements. Not only does the camera reveal, but it also hides, causing the the audience to be completely at the mercy of the director. The end result is a slow burn of a horror film that lets you know what you are in for early on but makes you wait patiently for the inevitable pay. The only problem is that it’s so damn long that it’s hard to tell if they pay off is truly worth the wait.
The biggest downside to the new Suspiria is that mixes glacial pacing with a incredibly long runtime, which means that you feel every second as it ticks by. Needless to say, the film drags an awful lot of the time. Of course, the film certainly has more than a few truly intense moments, but most of these are incredibly dark moments filled with gut-wrenching imagery that epitomize the maliciousness that the coven behind the studio is capable of. This brutality combined with the sexual elements used in the interpretive dancing which is used to manipulate time and space to cast the spells to make for an interesting contrast, but also an incredibly uncomfortable one. This dark power at the beck and call of the witches in this dance studio is one that maims and murders those around them but offers them untold pleasures and that is truly terrifying.
Suspiria is a film that is very much about strong women and choice of actresses to lead this tale is absolutely impeccable. Dakota Johnson is quickly redeeming herself in my eyes for the Fifty Shades series that she is so well known for. Her performance as the lead in this film, along with the one we saw a few weeks ago in Bad Times at the El Royale has established that she is an actress capable of disappearing into her roles. In Suspiria, she’s a dancer standing on shaky legs but with high hopes for what she might be capable of one day. At least, that’s how she starts the film. That uncertainty and shakiness don’t last from long once the witches sink their hooks into her. As good as Johnson is though, it’s Swinton who carries this film from start to finish. Not only does she plays the head of the dance studio, but is unrecognizable in two other roles in Suspiria. Each of them is so different from the other that they serve as jarring reminders of just what an incredible talent she is.
Swinton and Johnson are the backbone of Suspiria and their performances alone make this a horror film well worth watching no matter how hard it might be at times. That being said, I have to warn that Suspiria is a far cry from the likes of horror films like the recent Halloween or A Quiet Place. It’s much more in line with Hereditary in that it’s a deep-rooted horror film that relies far more on the psychological aspects and themes to build a foreboding sense of dread. You won’t get many jump scares in Suspiria, but if you have the disposition to make it through a slow, churning horror film that will stick with you long after the credits roll, then this is not a bad note to end the year on it. It’s a horror film that offers something very different from what we all might be used to these days and that makes it worthwhile in my book.
