Review of Phenomena (1985) by Jackson S — 16 Oct 2008

When I first saw Dario Argento's Phenomena, I was sorely disappointed, but back when I saw it I was not fully exposed to Argento's style. Now that I have seen many of his films I know how he rolls, so when I gave this a much needed re-watch I found myself loving it. Of course, this is incredibly weird and warped, even for Argento. Also like Argento, the acting by almost everyone is subpar and the plot is at times unbelievable and illogical. However, to criticize these aspects is missing the point, as like many of his films the atmosphere, score, climax and visceral quality are the strong points. My main problem with the film was (and still is) the kind of slow middle section, which although is interesting, does not compare with the first and last half hours.

The film centres on Jennifer Corvino (a young and beautiful Jennifer Connelly), a 14 year old sent to a female boarding school where a series of brutal murders have been taking place. However, Jennifer is not entirely normal, as she can telepathically communicate with insects and she sleepwalks every night. One of these nights she meets Professor John McGregor (the always reliable Donald Pleasence), a wheelchair-bound Scottish entomologist. They soon become friends and team up to catch the killer with the help of insects.

As I said, Argento's plots are usually odd and far-fetched but in this case, at least it is original and imaginative. Connelly and Pleasence are great together, and Daria Nicolodi provides great support in her small, but juicy role. The score, by long-time collaborator Goblin, and featuring some awesome 80's heavy metal (Iron Maiden), is excellent. It ranges from creepy to complete rock and it matches the style and story. Like all Argento movies, this contains brutal gore (plenty of stabbings, decapitations and mutilations) and an intense climax. In fact, this is easily one of the greatest endings to a movie...EVER! A good summary would be: mutant boys, killer flies and a chimpanzee with a razor blade! This is a seriously underrated Argento, this stands out tall amongst many of the 80's horror films. If you want a trippy, hallucinatory and twisted horror flick, this is it!