Suzy Bannion has travelled from America to a very prestigious dance academy in Germany. Bizarre events happen right from the get-go, and Suzy is sure that there is more than meets the eye at the academy.

Where do I even begin with Dario Argento’s Suspiria? Maybe by saying that it’s perfect. Every aspect of it is a feast for the eyes and an assault on the senses.

Suspiria feels like a very dark fairy tale. I remember as a kid we had a book knocking around the house, which was called Struwwelpeter. This was a children’s book, but also very disturbing indeed (Google it. If you’re a horror fan, you’ll be glad you did). Suspiria reminds me of this kind of dark material. It’s also like a beautifully crafted fever-dream. There’s a nightmarish quality to the film. There’s also something very Freudian at play here.

You’ll salivate over the direction, the cinematography, the set-pieces, the colour palette- indeed, the aesthetics of the film make this truly a singular experience. There’s no other film like Suspiria.

Add to this a score that, on the surface, is very simplistic (and utterly unnerving because of it). But there’s more going on beneath the surface (like the film’s narrative) than you first notice (the advertising for the film mentioned the use of the ‘pulsating’ stereo sound). There are bass rumbles and experimentations with sound that make Goblin’s score one of the best ever recorded.

Suspiria was yet another film that was cut by the BBFC, and so being able to finally see it uncut was a revelation. It’s very nasty indeed (the dog scene, which was previously cut, is utterly gross and utterly brilliant). Indeed, all of the kills are exquisitely staged works of art. But then the entire running time of the film is pure art. I could happily look at any frame from Suspiria in an art gallery and be awestruck.

It’s acknowledged that in Italy, giallo directors are treated like gods who make culture of true worth. With Suspiria, I can see why.

Turn it up when you watch it or, even better, see it in a cinema.

5 out of 5 stars