“Suspiria” (2018) is a far from “Suspiria” (1977) as a remake can possibly be, and which one someone prefers likely says a lot about their taste in film. I was somewhat disappointed by Argento’s original “Suspiria”; the things it’s known for- the visuals, the coloring, and the score- were all spectacular, but it lacked anything else. It’s style devoid of substance. 

This new take on the film takes an aggressively different approach. Deeply entrenched in real world events, “Suspiria” (2018) puts its effort into a compelling story of political intrigue that, when it wants to be, is brutally disturbing. This more cerebral approach demands strong acting, and the cast delivers it across the board. But while visually and tonally far more restrained than it’s predecessor (for most of the film, at least), it’s certainly never drab as some of its critics have complained: unorthodox editing and Thom Yorke’s haunting score succeed in giving it a unique feeling of discordance throughout that only adds to it’s macabre style. For me at least, this is the clear superior of the two “Suspiria”s.