This is a horror film that’s fairly weird to describe, as in, it’s a remake of a really cool Italian horror (released in 1977) that feels quite intellectual and serious. But then you have a lot of absurd elements that ultimately works against this.
It’s hard for me to describe the story then, but I’ll try. It essentially kicks in as Chloe Grace Moretz, as Patricia, tells her therapist that a dance academy she attends is secretly run by witches. A new girl, Susie (Dakota Johnson), starts at said academy, and things really get weird, like with Patricia going missing soon after confessing..
Luca Guadagnino, the director, previously did Call Me By Your Name. And that felt high in indulgence too and so ultimately ended up suffering a bit. It’s a shame, because all the actors, right up to Tilda Swinton (playing no less than three characters!), really try, and Suspiria‘s well designed as well.
Alas, you can’t have everything. At the least it’s an admirable, four-star experiment, but I prefer the original..
Mad About Movies 