Yes, No, Maybe So: Suspiria
Friday, August 24, 2018 at 9:00PM 
What’s good? It's Salim. Yesterday, Amazon Studios graced us with the second trailer to their upcoming horror film, Suspiria, a film that performs double duty as the remake to one of the seminal horror films in cinematic history by Italian legend Dario Argento and Luca Guadagnino’s follow-up to his acclaimed Oscar contender Call Me by Your Name. To some, the attempt to remake such a perfect masterpiece as Suspiria may feel like sacrilege. To yours truly, it has been one of my most anticipated movies ever since Guadagnino was announced as the director years ago (Much less so when the poor fit of David Gordon Green was attached) and seeing the cryptic first teaser months ago felt like manna after long speculation of how the results would be (including Armie Hammer going on record after seeing it calling the movie “evil”).
More on the Trailer After the Jump
Now, we have a trailer out with less implication behind its narrative (we can tell that there will be a thread regarding psychoanalysis), though still enough to warrant heavy speculation including one element that feels transparent.
Let’s dig into it.
YES
- It is obvious that Tilda Swinton would have returned to work with Luca again, but the casting of her as Madame Blanc still remains an on-point decision to make. In fact, one might say that most of the famous adult roles in Suspiria would be a great fit for her, but when it comes to an actor like Swinton, you give her the best.
- The most impressionable narrative development appears to be the remake’s focus on dancing and we’ve seen a couple of moments involving Dakota Johnson in very intense routines. It’s particularly great to see how Swinton in the role of Blanc adapts herself to that by making every motion we’ve seen out of the character feel sweeping and graceful until we see that hook thing shooting up in her hand.
- Really glad to see Jessica Harper returning here. Not only because of the ol’ tip of the hat that it gives to the original (in which she starred), but because she’s hardly shown up in much for the last 30 years, has she?
- Much disappointment has been expressed at how the remake won’t be copying the original’s garish and bright primary color tones, but I find the muted darkness of the design within the browned school (compared to out on the gray streets) lets sudden imposition of blood red shock us. It feels more deliberate and thoughtful in its use of color than the nevertheless gorgeous and unique indulgences of Argento’s film.
- It looks like not all of the movie will be those drained slate tones of the school, given a few shots in which a directly monstrous being (perhaps Helena Markos herself!) crawls in floor lit from above with cherry red.
- Those gnarled pressured cracking sounds, ugh. This promises to be a grotesque thing, even if they have only teased us thus far.
NO
- I have not really warmed to Chloë Grace Moretz as an actor, though I understand most people do not have this issue, and while I hope for the best with her performance here, the idea that she is indeed separated from the main action within the school means it’s all riding on her shoulders and those of her scene partner Lutz Ebersdorf.
- Looks way too dedicated to explaining the lore behind the strange goings on in the school and making horror movies soluble is a boring approach. You can’t disorient a viewer if they know exactly what’s going on.
- Knowing that an amount of the 152-minute runtime might be dedicated to narrative explication gives me an amount of pause regarding its extended runtime.
- I will admit a bit of doubt in regards to the monochrome style when the only major color to show up is red. In Luca we trust and I vehemently disagree with those who say this is monochromatic, but we can’t say the trailer has had very much payoff in that manner yet beyond the first few supernatural shimmers and a couple of garishly lit shots.
MAYBE SO
- The mention by name of the Three Mothers from the trilogy which Argento’s original is a part of leads one to suspect that this might very well involve the other two movies in that set – Inferno and Mother of Tears. I hope it resembles nothing like Mother of Tears.
- A certain actor’s Modus Operandi and the shape of another particular actor’s face looks very familiar on another character in the trailer (out of respect for the filmmakers’ insistence that the cast list is on the level, I won’t name them though I feel it’s obvious). And with that, one builds curiosity as to what else does this actor have planned for this film, with rumors surrounding that we will also see a portrayal of a very famous figure known for being in Berlin during the time of this movie’s Wall-era setting.
- Here’s hoping working with Luca twice now will have the same effect on Dakota Johnson’s public reception that working with Olivier Assayas has had on Kristen Stewart and working with David Cronenberg has had on Robert Pattinson: a respect for the actor unfairly withdrawn on account of her association with adaptations of critically mocked books (though mind you, she rocks it in the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, y’all).
- It looks like that shot of the poor girl having her face contorted in the studio is a bit of the infamous clip that premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con witnessing someone’s body literally breaking in accordance to a dance elsewhere. I just hope it doesn’t look chintzy.
- I have no true response yet to Thom Yorke’s score (if we’ve actually heard bits of it in this trailer), which has big shoes to fill after Goblin’s iconic soundtrack. But I will remain optimistic because I love Yorke and I’m optimistic about this movie in general.
We’ll see how well it all comes to pass when Suspiria premieres at this year’s Venice International Film Festival on 1 September, followed by a limited release on 26 October expanding on 2 November. Are you excited about the film? Do you think its besmirching the legacy of a classic? Do you have no response to the original whatsoever? Has the two trailers affected your attitude in any way?
Reader Comments (16)
FUCK YEAH
Alek Wek!
See, I like that they're leaning into the lore. A twist ending is great when done well. The original Suspiria, for me, is one of the most frustrating horror classics because I don't think the ending works. There's disorienting, and then there's random nonsense with nothing to suggest it could occur.
The ending of Suspiria relies on the knowledge that two more stories were to come, which is a weak excuse for such a hard turn in the final moments of a film.I view the original Suspiria as one of the most beautiful and empty horror films ever made. Its merit is in the score and cinematography alone by the time the ending credits roll and the story just changes for no reason other than shock value.
Leaning into the lore allows for a lot more narrative trickery than outright hiding or denying what a horror film is about. The presence of one does not mean that some of the violence we know will happen in this film isn't being done by characters we've seen in the film. It just means that maybe, no matter how hard the characters may fight or how much they learn, they might not physically be able to fight back against the horror they're facing. They can do everything right and still lose their safety, sanity, or even life at any point.
That, to me, is far more impactful than clearly establishing and supporting one narrative only to pivot in the final moments to something unrelated. It's the difference between utter nonsense like The Village and impactful horror like Pan's Labyrinth. Create and commit to the rules of the world and you'll have a far more meaningful and frightening horror than a twist just to say you fooled the audience.
Plus, you know, the remake has Tilda Swinton in it. I'm down for Tilda Swinton in a horror film.
I'm leaning towards yes even though I love the original film by Dario Argento.
The second maybe so Point is gibberish to me.
152 minutes?!?
no.
Lutz Ebersdorf: Consider.
Could someone point out Harper in the trailer.
I can't wait for SUSPIRIA. Thank goodness it's helmed by an actual director with an actual vision. Dario Argento's original deserves nothing less.
That trailer is really not very effective. Some special effects, like that of the face dissolving, look cheap. I am currently a no.
In the age of binging shows people have no excuse to mock long running times.
No on Chloe.
Maybe so on Dakota
Yes to the movie.
YAS to Tilda!
I'm a YES, especially on the visuals and score. Damien Jalet is an astounding choreographer and I am so excited to see his work on the film - I am sure it will be spectacular. I am also SO here for Tilda and Lutz!! Very excited to see what Dakota does here also.
The big NO for me is Moretz. I do not understand her appeal at all, beyond being beautiful. Her acting grows more and more self conscious with each performance. Some friends and I watched a bit of Netflix's Brain on Fire and she gave a truly laughable performance.
I'm with you on Moretz. I kind of admire her choices, and she's worked with some pretty impressive directors for someone so young. But yeah, I find her difficult to warm to.
Anyway, yes to this. Obvs.
Angela Winkler? Ingrid Caven? Sylvie Testud? Renée Soutendijk? Yes! Yes! Yes!
The return to intellectual horror pieces is one of the best cinematic developments of this decade, after the torture porn explosion of the aughts. I hope it's great (I'm sure it will be divisive).