Movie Review: “Suspiria” redo is hypnotic, disturbing, and long

Movie Review: “Suspiria” (R)

As was the case with David Gordon Green’s recent “Halloween” follow-up, Luca Guadagnino’s updating of the famed ’70s Dario Argento shocker, “Suspiria,” has been garnering a steady stream of buzz on the festival circuit as of late. But for my money, this latest effort from the director of “Call Me By Your Name” is the more effective film. That said, this take on “Suspiria” is not a movie for the masses. It tends to be a little more on the artsy side and will probably appeal more to audiences who appreciate something a little more outside the box.

“Suspiria” takes place in the ’70s and follows American dancer Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) as she makes her way to Berlin where she hopes to join a prestigious ballet company headed by renowned dancer Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). Of course, upon arrival it becomes pretty clear early on that many of the talented women who make up this dance academy have a bit of a secret. That secret leads an ambitious Bannion on a journey of self discovery, and it all culminates in a final act that is as gruesome and thought provoking as it is artsy and pretentious.

Upon walking out of a press screening of “Suspiria,” a buddy of mine made the observation that while there are certainly big-time shades of Argento’s original in this updating, there’s quite a bit of Nicolas Roeg (“Don’t Look Now”) in there as well. And then there are the works of Darren Aronofsky. With its tale of ambition and competition among a team of dancers, one can’t help but be a little reminded of “Black Swan” when watching this film. And there’s even a little “Mother!” thrown in for good measure.

All of that said, Guadagnino still manages to bring his own striking sensibility to a movie that really had no business being redone in the first place. The end result is a hypnotic, beautifully crafted art piece that will exhilarate some and, with it’s over two-an-a-half-hour running time, test the patience of others.

This take on “Suspiria” is headlined by Dakota Johnson, and while this young actress does bring a fierce sexual charge to the table, this is about as far removed from the likes of “50 Shades of Grey” as you can get! And yes, that’s meant as a compliment. Johnson offers up a sense of innocence and undeniable confidence in equal measure, and while this isn’t exactly Oscar-caliber work, it does suggest that there’s more to this actress than those tepid E.L. James big-screen adaptations would have you believe. Elevating the drama on display is a magnificent and appropriately offbeat Tilda Swinton who dazzles in not one, not two, but three roles, two of which are best left undisclosed in this review. The supporting cast is made up of a wide range of wonderfully colorful actresses who bring their own distinct humor, eccentricities, darkness, and playfulness to the proceedings.

Guadagnino has a lot to say here and avoids surface-level horror at nearly every turn. There is the prerequisite gore, to be sure, but Guadagnino has the deft ability to make the positively grotesque absolutely poetic. Look no further than an undeniably nauseating sequence in which Susie performs a raw dance routine as a less unfortunate dancer in another room finds her body uncontrollably contorting and breaking apart in rhythmic synchronicity to Susie’s extreme moves. What’s more, the scene that follows is even more shocking.

The look of this picture is absolutely gorgeous. From the cinematography to the editing to the choreography to the costume design to the make-up to the stunning art direction, Guadagnino has fashioned a sumptuous production that only really falters when it resorts to less than stellar CG in a final act that, while disturbing, comes very close to slipping into a sea of pretension.

There’s also the much buzzed-about Thom Yorke score. The Radiohead frontman has crafted a haunting collection of tracks, and while there are moments when the music is a bit distracting, this is a score I definitely plan on purchasing.

For all its disturbing imagery and horror sensibilities, “Suspiria” benefits from surprisingly rich themes, none bigger than compassion. True, there are plenty of characters doing plenty of awful things throughout this picture, but it’s interesting to note that “Suspiria” follows up a real bloodbath with a moment in which a character commits an unexpected act of kindness. Where this particular character might go from there is anyone’s guess, but it’s an interesting note to close on.

Is “Suspiria” in the same league as unforgettable genre remakes like “The Thing,” “The Fly,” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”? That’s debatable. One thing is fairly certain, though: This is a disturbing, passionately crafted movie that often gets its hooks into you and refuses to let go.

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