Suspiria. El maligno

WTF just happened?? I still can't figure out if I hated this movie or loved it. It is strange as hell. I guess it is a remake, never saw the original, so I don't have any incite there. I liked the premise, but hated a lot about it, but freaking loved the ending... but it took 2.5 hours to get there! Way to freaking long, I can say that for sure. Also, NOT a fan of contemporary dance.

Need another remake/reboot/reimagining of a classic horror movie that was effective because of the timing of its release... and deserves to keep its legendary status for the rest of time." Then I saw that it was 2.5 hours, and I was like "OMG, what?!" Then I watched it, and I was like "OMG, what?!" I think I'm going to watch it again, because I wasn't paying attention a lot of the time. However, this is one of those remakes/reboots/reimaginings that I respect. Why? Because it takes the CONCEPT of the original, and spins everything about, swirls and twirls it, then flips it up into itself, turning into a completely faithful representation of the term "REIMAGINING". I respect SUSPIRIA 2018. Granted, some of the makeup effects were pretty bad (especially the "old man", which I don't really think was necessary; and the silly makeup for one of the "old ladies" in the final act, which was worse). It is a little long in the tooth. It tries perhaps a little too hard to be artsy-fartsy... But it grabbed me. It pressed its filthy, dirty fingers on my windpipe in parts, and gently squeezed with wrathful intimacy. I felt dirty, yet couldn't help but feel enthralled in parts.

I will say, though, that even if this movie was a complete FAILURE of a horror remake, I will gladly praise the fact that it tried to be its own thing. It wasn't a shameless ripoff. It really, truly IS a reimagining. We just don't get enough of those these days.

A dancing school is not what it presents, swinging back and forth charades with dark pretence, a coven of conspirators, necromancer choreographers, a malevolent and pernicious, dark presence. A young American enrols, and takes the floor, not too long before events suggests theirs more, than a spin, a twist or twirl, as performances unfurl, and disguises make surprises so much more.

A colourful and vibrant tale of what lies beneath the surface, under the covers and behind closed doors in a German school of dancing, although once you start to peel away the flesh, you may find an abstract and occasionally complex undercurrent of themes that reflect how progressive the world, or at least parts of it, have become. Both Dakota Johnson and especially Tilda Swinton deliver top drawer performances.

While I really liked the weirdness of the Original (you can't really put your finger on it and what it tried to tell us), this really steps up to the task. I know that just writing this or just the rating will have some fans of the Original riled up. Now I'm not trying to take anything away from your memories or your taste, so if you are reading on, I thank you for being open minded.

For anyone unaware of the original, you do not have to have seen it, to enjoy this. But you can watch both, because they differ on enough levels to make them both enticing and interesting to watch. Even a double will would be something that made sense. And whichever order you want to watch them. Though I think it would make sense to watch Argentos Suspiria first. We have different characters here, we have an amount violence and depicted visual explicit pain enducing scenes, that this is not for the faint of hearted. If you are squeamish, do not - I repeat: do NOT watch this! But if you stomach the visceral and painful moments (there are not that many and they are mixed well with the story), you will love the rest too.

Great storytelling and a weirdness that can hold up to that of the original. And really great acting to go along with everything.

Large groups of people seem to either be awed by this film or utterly revile it. I, however, am willing to go against the grain and take the middle ground. This is neither a masterpiece, nor is it a disaster.

It's a highly ambitious remake that attempts to weave political and artistic themes together into one cornucopia of fantasy-horror-historical expression, and unfortunately it only succeeds some of the time. Does this film bite off more than it can chew? One could argue that, but sometimes I'd rather a film try to do too much and partially fail than play it safe and thereby come out less memorable.

What tends to give this film more bite is its ferocious dance sequences. I can only imagine how much work went into that aspect of the filmmaking. There is also a wonderful recreation of the sterile bleakness of late 1970s Berlin back when the city was still divided during the Cold War. As far as performances go, there isn't a false note. Dakota Johnson gives a nuanced turn as an aspiring American dancer who comes to Berlin in 1977 to join a world-renowned dance company, which just might be dominated by a host of witches. Tilda Swinton gives an equally disquieting turn as one of the dance instructors. Chloe Moretz Grace turns out to be under-utilized.

Although some scenes don't feel as artistic as they could have been, this is still an arresting cinematic experience overall. Putting its inconsistency in execution aside as well as a seemingly winding conclusion, I recommend this film for those looking for something ambitious and off-the-wall.