Review of Suspiria (2018) by Damien S — 04 Nov 2018

Strange and unsettling film, that needs more of a pulse. I wish the suspense and horror elements were amplified a bit, to fill the long 2.5 runtime, but at least it boasts a great scene that will go down in horror film history. Let's just say Psycho has its "shower scene", and Suspiria has its "human pretzel scene". Unfortunately, not all of the drawn-out subplots get the payoff they deserve, I'm thinking particularly of Prof Kempler, a psychiatrist played by Tilda Swinton who suspects something isn't quite kosher with the dance academy. I think I appreciate the filmmakers attempts to keep her performance a secret, I couldn't stop thinking that it was Swinton under heavy prosthetics and it was very distracting, though still an impressive performance. Dakota Johnson is fine as the protagonist Susie, but I couldn't help but cringe when she responds to complex questions asked of her by her superiors with a Valley-girl "yeah" (at least twice!).

I have to admit I've enjoyed thinking about the symbolism behind the film more than I enjoyed actually watching it, the most obvious being that the coven of witches represent a Fascist regime under the control of the brutal, commanding "Mother Markos" who will go to great lengths to keep her power--and those who get in her way are brutally tortured and face horrific ends. Nazis? Hitler? Concentration camps? Check, check, check. If you think these themes are too heady for a horror film about witches, you're not wrong. It's a strange vessel to make points about the horrors of Fascism and post-WWII German guilt. Nevertheless, the reviews calling this film pretentious are off-base. Although not perfect, I much prefer ambitious films that maybe exceed their grasp than the low-I.Q. Conjuring crap.