So yesterday was a pretty exciting day for horror cinema, as a teaser trailer for Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake was finally released. Not much info regarding the film had been released up until recently, with a few set photos preceding some official images and posters that have surfaced over the past while. While the trailer is only a teaser and isn't quite long, it still gives us an idea of the type of film that Suspiria will be, especially in regards to the original.
If you aren't aware, the original Suspiria is an Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and released in 1977. The film follows ballet dancer Susie Bannion as she begins her term at the prestigious Tanz Academy in Frieburg, only to discover that is is run by a coven of malevolent witches. It's a horror classic and my all time favourite film, so naturally when news of a remake surfaced I wasn't too ecstatic. However, after watching the trailer my doubts are slowly being put to rest. Join me now, as I take a more in-depth look at the trailer for the Suspiria remake.
So, first of all we open with a shot of Dakota Johnson as Susie. We've already got a look at her in the set pics and promotional imagery (including the one with that bizarre chest wound) and I think she'll do a decent job at taking up the mantle from Jessica Harper, the original Susie. Harper is said to have a role in the film as well, although I couldn't spot her in the trailer.
0:16: We get our first look at Tilda Swinton as Madame Blanc (originally played by Joan Bennett), the vice-directress of the academy. It looks as though she will be more of an instructor in this version, as in the original she wasn't very involved in the dance classes.
0:27: A poster reading 'MARKOS' can be seen on the wall. As fans of the original will know, Helena Markos is the directress of the Tanz Academy and leader of the coven. She is an evil old hag who pulls the strings throughout, before being confronted by Susie in the films climax. No doubt we'll see her again in the remake.
0:31: A mysterious apparition? I don't know what that is, but it sure looks cool right?
0:36: The Three Mothers. Perhaps the biggest Easter egg of the trailer is this brief shot of a notebook that references the three mothers. The three mothers are a trifecta of evil witches that appeared in a trilogy of films directed by Dario Argento, the first being the original Suspiria, followed by Inferno (1980), and The Mother of Tears (2007). Helena Markos, or Mother Suspiriorum, was the villain of Suspiria and one third of the mothers. Mother Tenebrarum and Mother Lachrymarum were the antagonists of the other two films, and their names can all be seen written down in this notebook. In the original Suspiria, Sara (Stefania Cassini) kept a notebook full of info on witches, and while that film didn't directly reference the three mothers, it looks like the remake might. Does Guadagnino plan on remaking the entire trilogy? Who knows.
0:41: Here we see a character that frequently appears in the trailer, an old man. Now what's interesting about him is that he actually appeared in some of the set photos that were released, but here's the thing, those photos claimed to be our first look at Tilda Swinton's character. We've already seen Swinton as Madame Blanc early on in the trailer, so I'm extremely curious to see who this other character is and how both characters connect to each other.
0:47: A sheet with a very human-shaped bloodstain on it. Is this the aftermath of a grizzly murder, or something even stranger?
0:54: We catch a glimpse of Mia Goth's character, Sara. In the original, Sara was portrayed by Stefania Cassini and acted as a friend to Susie, as well as playing a major role in unraveling the schools mysteries. In this trailer it appears that she is being watched by someone, but we don't know who. Sara appears later on in the trailer as well, in what looks like a dance number.
0:57: A very distressed looking Chloe Moretz, said to be playing the part of Pat Hingle (No not Commissioner Gordon). In the original Suspiria Pat was the first character to be killed onscreen, after learning a little too much about the wicked coven. It's surprising that such a high-profile actress like Moretz will be playing her, maybe Guadagnino is going for a Drew Barrymore in Scream effect?
1:01: A woman's hands tied with rope. Setting up for a death scene maybe? Or maybe Dakota Johnson slipped back into her 50 Shades of Grey role by accident.
1:12: A hooked weapon. Definitely setting up for a death scene here, it looks like the witches will be swapping razors and knives for hooks this time round.
1:14: A girl with maggots on her face. In the original film there is a sequence in which maggots begin to drop from the ceiling onto the students below, looks like they'll be coming back for the remake.
We then close with a shot of what looks like that hooked weapon again. Wowzers.
Stray Observations:
-Thom Yorkes score is sounding like it could match that of the original, something that is very difficult to achieve.
-The colourful visuals of the original are ditched here in favour of a much more gloomy colour scheme. It's certainly a huge contrast visually, but tonally the trailer feels very close to Argentos film.
-It certainly looks like it could have came out in the 70's, there's definitely some Rosemary's Baby vibes there.
-Is that woman floating up a wall?
Final Thoughts:
For such a short trailer there's definitely a lot to take in, which is good because we've spent so long knowing very little about this particular project. While it looks a lot different to the original film, it certainly feels very similar in tone, judging by the trailer at least. It looks like Guadagnino has a lot of love and respect for the original, and that this remake will act as both a retelling of and homage to Argento's film. I think it's safe to say that this project is in good hands. Suspiria arrives in theaters in early November, so if you haven't seen the original film at this stage, now is the perfect time to watch it.
