Suspiria (1977)

Dario Argento’s phantasmagoric gothic nightmare blends operatic violence, disorienting dream logic and hyper-real visuals to create a horror classic.

Aspiring ballerina Suzy Banyon enrols at a prestigious European dance academy, only to uncover the terrifying mysteries kept hidden by its faculty in Dario Argento’s phantasmagoric journey into the occult. Co-written with actress Daria Nicolodi, the plot follows a disorienting dream logic that is perfectly complemented by a hyper-real visual style, blending operatic violence with a fairy-tale twist.

1977 Italy
Directed by
Dario Argento
Produced by
Claudio Argento
Written by
Daria Nicolodi, Dario Argento
Featuring
Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci
Running time
97 minutes

Ranked in The Greatest Films of All Time poll

Sight and Sound