Popular reviews

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  Review by Patrick Willems ★★★★ 12

  Dario: So I’m going to make another movie with a killer in a trench coat stabbing women to death. This one is set at a bording school in Switzerland.

  Studio: Perfect. How much money do you—?

  Dario: But mostly it’s about a girl who psychically communicates with insects.

  Studio: Wait what?

  Dario: Yeah she talks to bees and can control swarms of flies

  Studio: uh—

  Dario: And her best friend is a bug scientist in a wheelchair played by Donald Pleasance

  Studio: I’m confused

  Dario: And Donald Pleasance has a monkey butler

  Studio: …………Dario do people still get stabbed?

  Dario: Yes lots 

  Studio: Please stop talking and take the money

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  Review by Ian West ★★★★★ 19

  It’s been a week or so since I watched an Argento film so clearly I’m back on my bullshit. This was my first Argento picture and over the years it’s molded itself into my mind, hypnotizing me with its oddity trappings of telepathic bug detection, fly POV shots, maggot body pools, decapitations, and an avenging razor wielding monkey. It’s absurd in so many ways but that only adds to its uniquely wonderful carnival of insanity charm. A true fairy tale for 1985, and one of my most cherished and beloved movies!

  The first time I watched Phenomena was in the mid ‘90s on a heavily edited 83 minute version on VHS known as Creepers here in the United States. The box…

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  Review by Liz ★★★★½

  You know an Argento film is overstuffed when he brings in a narrator for exactly one line of unnecessary voiceover.

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  Review by Tony the Terror 666 ★★★★★ 15

  This movie just keeps getting better as I get older. I’ve always loved it, but on this rewatch I was just mesmerized throughout the entire thing. This is a surreal fairy tale nightmare masterpiece. The beauty that is this movie is almost indescribable. I love that opening scene of gray and cloudy Swiss countryside. I love the Simon Boswell/Goblin score and I could listen to it for all eternity. I love that the whole movie is a little bit of all of the genres in which Argento dabbles. I love Jennifer Connelly’s misunderstood outsider and Donald Pleasance’s bug enthusiast. I love Inga the chimpanzee. I LOVE Daria Nicolodi with all of my being. I love the lighting and the beautiful…

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  Review by Branson Reese 4

  Absolutely perfect. This is exactly what I'm looking for in a movie which is why I'm always mad at movies.

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  Review by sarah squirm ★★★★★ 1

  suspiria but with bugs + Motörhead !?!? that’s what i would call a PERFECT A+ MOVIE !!!!!!! that’s gonna be a YES from me, dog !!!!!

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  Review by Mike Ginn ★★★★ 2

  amazing that a simple italian pervert can make such extraordinary films

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  Review by san ★★★★

  “I am not schizophrenic, epileptic, or stoned!”

  A flawed masterpiece. Hellish acting from the supporting cast, random lines dubbed in Italian, and a questionable plot are multiple reasons to criticize Phenomena. Yet, there’s so much chaotic charm to this film that its unique identity can easily be cherished. It’s great at not taking itself too seriously and being engaging to its audience. Likewise, the soundtrack is the perfect fit to its absurdity.

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  Review by Sam ★★★ 1

  The last 15 or so minutes of Phenomena are absolutely balls to the wall insanity, so much so that it almost makes you forget how tedious almost everything up until that point is.

  Also, theres a Motorhead needle drop in this that's so inappropriate and jarring that I can't help but love it

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  Review by Dyrnott ★★★★ 3

  It has been a few years since I last saw this movie. It still entertaining as it was. Directed by the legendary director Dario Argento. It is beautifully shot, quite unique story line which can be gross at times an evolves into bat shit crazy! The sound track is killer with works from Goblin, Iron Maiden and Motörhead. If you haven’t seen it check it out on Amazon Prime.

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  Review by Will Menaker ★★★★ 4

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

  Girl with a thing for insects sleep walks into murderous monkey business at a Swiss boarding school housed at the estate of Richard Wagner in the number one chimp-based film of all time.

  Thrills/Chills: Unbelievably ominous use of the Swiss landscape and it's madness inducing wind ripping through trees and several great scares.

  Gore/Ownage: It's an Argento movies, so it's equal parts repulsive and beautiful: maggots cavorting in flesh, steel rods shoved through the backs of heads and out mouths, a basement swamp of body parts, a deformed, freak-faced child consumed by flies, and a lovable chimp cutting a woman to ribbons with a straight razor.

  Horniness: Argento movie here, nothing but a virginal Jennifer Connelly and other beautiful teenage…

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  Review by theironcupcake ★★★★ 12

  "It's perfectly normal for insects to be slightly telepathic."
  "Hey, it's normal for insects... but am I normal?"

  Once again, an Argento hit! Teen Suspiria with a few dashes of Deep Red. I watched the 110-minute all-English cut, which felt like the right call. Great to see young Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence (and his hirsute "nurse"), Daria Nicolodi, Patrick Bauchau and especially the perfect woman from Flesh for Frankenstein, Dalila Di Lazzaro. Also, best name I've seen in a while in a film's end credits: script continuity by Vivalda Vigorelli.

  Gotta admit that I didn't fully pay attention the whole time because I had a lot on my mind, but that works out fine. Letting the images and sounds wash over instead. It was just that time of night.

  "I am sleepwalking. I must wake up."