20 Cult Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die
7. Suspiria (1977)
Suspiria is a masterwork of violence and color, brought to us by the Italian master of gore, Dario Argento. The film follows an American ballet dancer whose excitement at being accepted to a prestigious European dance school turns to terror when she discovers that the institution is a cover for a murderous coven of witches.
By infusing the haunting melodies of his frequent musical collaborators, Goblin, the expressive and surreal kaleidoscopic color palette of reds, greens, and blues, and the other worldly location of a troubled ballet school, Argento was able to make a film that transcends the genre, opening up a whole new world for creative minds to express their wildest and bloodiest dreams.
The violence that Dario had subjected his audience to in his earlier films, would be brought to a feverish pitch as the masses lay witness to barbed wire tearing flesh, a savage hanging, and a stained glass laceration covered in candy coated colors that could warp the mind. Argento has proven time and time again that his visual potency was as venomous as his content and none showcased this fact as expertly as Suspiria.