Suspiria

Luca Guadagnino who directed last year’s wonderful “Call Me By Your Name” follows it up with what else, but a movie about witchcraft and dance. Suspiria is a remake of a 1977 film, but considering the runtime is roughly an hour longer than the original, you can bet it has much more going on. While this version is about Witches and a dance studio much like the 77′ version, it also has themes that connect it to the Holocaust and the feeling of guilt.

Set in 1977 Berlin, we meet Susie Bannion who joins the Markos Dance Academy. This is no regular dance academy, it is run by a coven of witches.  While the troupe trains for their performance of “Volk” the head witches are determining which way leadership should go. Tilda Swinton plays Madam Blanc and brings a presence to the screen that is chilling. Dakota Johnson who plays the lead Susie, gives the best performance of her young career. With a haunting score provided by Thom Yorke of Radiohead and some unsettling visuals, this is one atmospheric watch.

Suspiria gives you a creepy vibe while watching, but leaves you with thoughts about how a generation of German’s felt after World War II. This is a deep film with many layers to discuss. See It!