Wesley R. Ball’s review published on Letterboxd:
86
Not so much a remake of the original acclaimed giallo classic as it is a complete reincarnation, revitalization, and restructuring from the ground up. Make no mistake, the two are very different films with very different stories- yet the themes and characters are all still present with a similarly echoed premise. But there's something daunting that Luca Guadagnino had in mind when remaking what is arguably Argento's most well-known work. It's not just an update or a simple remake (even taking place at the same time the original did), there's a modernized sense of pure dread and horror constantly lurking in the background of this cursed dance hall.
A rush of artistic subtlety washes over Guadagnino's directing that sets it miles apart from the shadow of Argento's delirium. Gone are the flushes of deep reds and blues that consistently covered his best known giallo works, and in comes something completely new- an expansion of what little we had already known about the world Argento was slowly setting up with the original Suspiria and the loosely connected Inferno and The Mother of Tears. Hearing that Guadagnino actually expressed interest in a prequel and a sequel (the original title for this was supposed to be Suspiria: Part One, but supposedly he and the studio didn't want to jinx their chances) drove my fascination with this project even further. There are so many possibilities and ideas presented and introduced in the third act alone that deserve exposition and expansion far beyond the limits that this film could have given us.
Guadagnino's Suspiria is a waking, vivid nightmare. It's almost too good to be true that this exists, and in such a pristine condition. Remakes of acclaimed classics aren't supposed to be this refreshing, this original, this invigorating and fascinating to behold. The spirituality performing in the background of the original takes a role front and center stage here; and while others may criticize this choice for making its plot more obvious or accessible to mainstream audiences, I found it to be a refreshing change of style and pace. It's a stylistic wonder, somehow breathing a life entirely of its own- independent from the shackles of its predecessor, and allowing its director unrestrained creative freedom in exploring the themes and characters that were left behind for him to unravel. I welcome more expansions on Dario's Three Mothers trilogy from Guadagnino, and eagerly anticipate anything else he'll have in store for us moving forward.