It was always an odd match-up: Luca GuadagninoOpens in a new tab, best-known for last year’s slow-paced summer-romance drama Call Me By Your Name, and Dario ArgentoOpens in a new tab‘s SuspiriaOpens in a new tab, a whacked-out horror movie about witches. Like Heath Ledger and the Joker, these seemed on paper like two things that weren’t inherently meant for one another. But every still image released has inspired confidence, as each image so far has looked like it was literally screen-capped from a horror movie released in the ’70s. Now it’s out there in the world, having screened at the Venice Film Festival, and according to DeadlineOpens in a new tab, got an eight-minute standing ovation from the crowd in attendance.
Critics, however, have been more polarized. Of the 12 reviews currently on Rotten Tomatoes, seven praise it, while the other five describe it as empty and wanting.
IndieWire’s David Ehrlich is the most enthusiasticOpens in a new tab, calling it “grim and glorious madness” and comparing it to the equally divisive mother! by Darren Aronofsky. Emily Yoshida at Vulture is on the same pageOpens in a new tab, saying it’s “a gorgeous, hideous, uncompromising film” that digs deeper into almost every aspect than the original. Glenn Kenny at RogerEbert.com appears to be the film’s biggest detractor so farOpens in a new tab, calling it “empty, overstuffed, ugly and thoughtless,” and its attempt to tie into the headlines of 1977 “an insulting, opportunistic co-opting of history.” He’s joined in thumbs-down by The Wrap‘s Alonso Duralde, a Guadagnino fan who nonetheless describes his reactionOpens in a new tab as, “[b]oredom, mostly, with confusion and a dollop of disappointment and irritation.”
Nobody seems on the fence, though Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian comes closest, with a three-star reviewOpens in a new tab that says the film “has sex and style but fails to bewitch.” (Rotten Tomatoes counts this one as “Fresh.”)
Twitter reactions, however, were much more positive (as they tend to be coming out of a premiere):
The last act of #SuspiriaOpens in a new tab is an histerical, hyper-violent attack at your senses. Feels like something that you won’t easily forget. #Venezia75Opens in a new tab
— alessio (@alessiomarinacc) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
It’s hard to make two masterpieces in a row, but it’s even stranger when they’re Call Me By Your Name and SUSPIRIA. A horror epic, this is a long, ambitiously structured, and disturbing foray into evil, and in the end, compassion. It’s wild, but Luca Guadagnino has done it AGAIN.
— CMBYN Mafia (@CMBYNmafia) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
#Venezia75Opens in a new tab #SuspiriaOpens in a new tab Brilliant! Not even remotely a remake, this is a radical reframing. Guadagnino grounds the abstractionism of the original in a post-war modern crucible. Last act orgasmic and Dakota has never been so glorious.
— Lorenzo Ciorcalo (@rotovisor) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
suspiria was definitely one of the most intense experiences of my life. didnt walk out of the theater like many but i can surely taste the blood in my mouth. not gonna sleep tonight lol !!! pic.twitter.com/BxPyGLokYwOpens in a new tab
— zin (@bIuevioIet) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
#SuspiriaOpens in a new tab was insane in the best way possible. Primal AF. #TildaSwintonOpens in a new tab was glorious as always, #DakotaJohnsonOpens in a new tab shines throughout and that last act is one serious headf**k. The editing and soundtrack were astonishing too. You’ve never seen dance like this ?? #Venezia75Opens in a new tab pic.twitter.com/xl2b8pUOdWOpens in a new tab
— David Opie (@DavidOpie) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
Why, hello there hyper political, feminist, slightly gory #SuspiriaOpens in a new tab. I did not see you coming. #DeathToAllOtherMothersOpens in a new tab #Venezia75Opens in a new tab
— Beatrice Behn (@DansLeCinema) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
I really don’t even know where to begin with Suspiria. The Kubrick comparisons I heard beforehand are accurate. There’s so much to unpack, and analyze, and discuss. Take your time. We have the rest of this year, and the next few years, to talk about it at length. pic.twitter.com/CmjVlaRG0XOpens in a new tab
— Alex Billington (@firstshowing) September 1, 2018Opens in a new tab
It’s hard to reconcile the enthusiasm of the fans with the boredom of the detractors–if it were this year’s mother!, one would expect the hatred to be equally intense and angry. But what emerges is a description of a director who uncompromisingly followed his own muse, like it or not, and managed to be either pretentious or brilliant…and possibly even both at once.
We’ll find out when it opens domestically on October 26th.
What do you make of these reactions? Whom do you trust the most? Let us know in comments.
Images: Amazon Studios
