Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Delayed Reaction: Inferno

Premise: A man investigates the disappearance of his sister in an old apartment building.


Look, I couldn't tell you how any two scenes of Inferno fit together. I'm only two films into Dario Argento's filmography, and I've already learned that I'm not supposed to watch him for plot. Maybe it all makes sense if I watch the movie a bunch and do some supplemental reading. I still doubt all the scenes fully track though. It's better to just enjoy the style with his movies.

The first of his movies I saw was a remastered cut of Suspiria at a midnight showing, and it instantly became one of my favorite horror movies. I was completely transfixed by the style and sound. Inferno had no hope of capturing me in the same immediate way. I knew what to expect this time. A lot of blues and reds. The weird Italian-style overdubbing. Cryptic talk about old texts. Probably the devil. And, overall, everything in Inferno felt about 80% as good as Suspiria. The music was a little less fun. Leigh McCloskey wasn't as exciting to follow around as Jessica Harper. The apartment complex isn't quite as interesting as the dance academy. The witch coven also pays off a lot more than seeing death in a mirror. The main thing that Inferno has over Suspiria is way more fire.

I want to be very clear though. I like Suspiria more, but Inferno was still pretty great. I want to find many more Argento movies to see. This movie is good. Just don't expect it to all make sense.

Verdict: Strongly Recommend

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