10 Horror Movies With Terrible Concepts But AMAZING Execution

Dario Argento's Suspiria revolves around an elite dance school that's actually a front for a coven of witches - a concept that's innately tough to take seriously - but Argento is smart to make Suspiria less a film about the particulars of its narrative than its intoxicating vibes. 

The neon-soaked lighting, larger-than-life production design, elaborate kills, and that unforgettable Goblin score conspire to ensure that Suspiria goes far above and beyond the apparent constraints of its premise.

Such is the joy of giallo as a subgenre - were the whole coven shtick played straight as part of a more conventional horror flick, it almost certainly wouldn't have worked - but Argento's heightened approach to the subject matter basically negates how asinine it all sounds when spoken aloud. 

Tellingly, one of the chief complaints about Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake is that it takes itself too seriously and flattens many of the outrageous, intentionally garish stylistic choices of the original, in turn exposing the corniness of its setup for all to see.