Opera

1987 Directed by Dario Argento

obsession. murder. madness.

A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.

Cristina Marsillach Ian Charleson Urbano Barberini Daria Nicolodi Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni Antonella Vitale William McNamara Barbara Cupisti Antonino Juorio Carola Stagnaro Francesca Cassola Maurizio Garrone Cristina Giachino György Gyõriványi Michele Soavi Dario Argento

Alternative Titles

Opera - Terror in der Oper, Terror at the Opera

horror mystery thriller

107 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Hollie Horror ★★★★ 4

What sets Opera apart from other Argento films in the 1970s and 1980s was that it had a very cruel streak to it. Most of his films have intricate death scenes but there is always something overly lovable in the movie to soften some of the rawness, in Phenomena there's the monkey, Deep Red: Daria Nicolodi and her junk car, but that was missing from Opera. Some could say that, the lead, Betty was the cute factor but I don't think it offsets the cruelty. This isn't a complaint, by any means.
One thing I would complain about is the ending, I can't say I'm a fan of the final 10 minutes. I find the final scene to be completely…
Review by Allison M. ★★★½ 8

GIALLOTHON: Film 1 of 4
"Good luck, little snake."
I've had Opera on my watchlist for a long time, but have never found the right circumstances to watch it. The Egyptian programmed it and they had an uncut print.
Cristina Marsillach was great as the lead: Betty. She looked a ton like Irène Jacob that I was fascinated throughout the film, convinced that they must somehow be related.
I could see how this highly influenced Paul Verhoeven's Elle. The cinematography from Ronnie Taylor was also gorgeous: especially the pull-away shots with Giulia the costume designer (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) trying to repair a dress.
Also, I love Betty's relaxation tape that she listens to. I could definitely use it.
All in all,…
Review by claire 🗡️💀🕷️ diane ★★★★★ 17

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

distillate of heavy metals. bleached & flattened of color. an old stone staircase worn both from long use and long service in dreams as you ascend/descend again and again and again.
they cannot be degraded or destroyed.
they cannot be degraded or destroyed.
******
"I think it's unwise to use movies as a guide to reality, don't you Inspector?"
"Depends on what you mean by reality."
******
a movie about a horror movie director making an opera made by a horror movie director making an Opera in which the Daughter rejects her Mother's appetite for causing pain.
the inexorable orbit of CAN'T LOOK AWAY.
******
"I just wanted to forget, to cancel it from my mind. Not see anything, not feel…
Review by Ian West ★★★★ 11

Sweepingly beautiful camera work with graphically intense murder sequences (If you've seen the cover art for this, you know are fucked), Argento crafts a doozy of a giallo against the backdrop of an Opera production of MacBeth and the soundscape of pulsating metal. ‘Blessed Ravens, never forget’
Even though I like Argento’s previous 7 films better, I have very few critiques of Opera, it really is a wonderfully tense thrill fest of blood, and the keyhole scene is a 10/10 and one of the best said scenes in cinema.
The new Scorpion Releasing/Code Red blu (I mention both because the case says Scorpion but the disc says Code Red, Lol those crazy Olsen brothers) looks and sounds fantastic! The color correction job they spent 45 million hours doing really shows, I saw colors in this that I never knew were there! Bravo!
Review by Faethor Ferenczy ★★★★ 5

Opera is a film I've been wanting to see for a while. It's directed by Dario Argento and many agree that this is his last great film before his decline. It's another black gloves giallo movie and centres around a young opera singer performing at an operatic production of Macbeth. It's not long before the killings start, and the young opera star is forced to watched them by having a strip of needles taped to her lower eyelid (see the movie image for an example).
As with all Argentos films, the dialogue and acting is bloody awful! That's enough said about that, let's move onto the good stuff.
I love Argentos camerawork, it's so inventive and influential. A joy to…
Review by Kaijuman ★★★½ 8

“I think it's unwise to use movies as a guide for reality.”
Take a drink every time the movie uses a tracking shot.
The technical aspect of the movie is stunning. The camera is alive, constantly zooming, tracking, twisting, and observing. There are so many captivating shots throughout, it warrants a viewing on it alone. Things like the camera “thumping” as we hear her heartbeat show why Dario Argento is so influential. The camera was more of a main character than the actual lead.
Speaking of her, she really dragged this down for me. She is the epitome of the “stupid horror victim” stereotype. She constantly makes questionable choices, like not reporting a murder because she just wanted to forget…

Recent reviews

Review by 0000011111 ★★★★

that camera work tho...so beautifully shot

the ending could’ve been better tho
Review by uliforattini96 ★★★★

Esse filme questiona e evoca o princípio do Torture Porn
Review by Ben M ★★★½

The best Argento movie I think. So musical and fun. The horror in this really hits whereas, in his other stuff, it seems secondary to the visuals. This has a healthy combo of both along with some actual characters. Worth the watch if only for the great camerawork and fantastic peephole scene!
Review by DingoDongo

Lesser Argento Giallo riff on POtO. Appropriately muddled plot with depraved cruel kills punctuated by speed metal. That might be overselling it a bit but not by much. I musta seen this poster a million times before watching and the torture still got me. I also am pretty sure that Argento is an animal lover.
Review by katan ★★★★

Wow! Why did I wait this long to watch this film? When I initially started to get into Argento, some 15 years ago, for some reason or another I completely skipped Opera.
Luckily I watched the italian dub, so I didn’t have to be bothered by the terrible english actors. The soundtrack is pretty hit and miss (well, the original score is actually quite good, but the NWOBHM shait, that he also forced into Phenomena, really feels out of place) and miles below the standard of Tenebre or Suspiria, but my god, this is truly stunningly shot! Cristina Marsillach is fierce in the opera scenes! Magnificent! (Yea, I know Argento hated working with her, but from what I gather it’s…
Review by Jordan McClelland ★★★½

This certainly has the greatest thematic weight out of all the Argento I have seen, but it's also really energetic and even funny at times.
Argento just knows how to have fun with everything he does.
Review by jackwilson ★★★½

My fuckin eyes hurt
Review by isabella ★★★★

why the fuck are crows so loud and annoying
Review by Jonathan Brito ★★★★

While bogged down by the usual narrative incoherence that plagues many of his films, Opera is no doubt one of Dario Argento's finest efforts. Elegantly conveyed through style, it immerses you within its sensory rhythm, seducing you with grasps of masterful suspense, and dragging you into a playing field of emotion. The experience is gorgeously ethereal, as many giallos can be, where touches of innocence collide with strokes of darkness. The amount of artistic integrity put into the visual grammar, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, is enough to provide equal companionship for Suspira.