Dario Argento Says Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Suspiria’ Remake “Betrayed The Spirit Of The Original Film”

Remakes and reboots are generally met with eye rolls from film fans. Unless the remake is damn near perfect, most of the fans of the original film will look at it with disdain. But normally, when you have a remake or reboot, the filmmaker behind the original work that is being redone is able to see the merit and says something nice about the project. That is, unless your name is Dario Argento and you’re asked about Luca Guadagnino’s recent “Suspiria” reimagining.

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Leading up to the film’s release late last year, Guadagnino was asked quite a bit about what Dario Argento thought of the remake. In an interview in 2018, Guadagnino said, “He was very generous. He has seen the movie, but it’s not for me to relay his reaction. I can only say to you that after he saw it he called me, and it was a great call.”

However, speaking to Radio Rai 1’s Un Giorno da Pecora, the legendary Italian filmmaker wasn’t so complimentary of Guadagnino’s reimagining.

“It did not excite me, it betrayed the spirit of the original film: there is no fear, there is no music. The film has not satisfied me so much,” Argento said.

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Ouch.

These comments come after months and months of Guadagnino showing nothing but utter reverence for the original “Suspiria.” We’re not saying that Argento should lie and say something nice even if he doesn’t mean it, but it’s just surprising that both filmmakers could, apparently, be on such different pages as far as the new film is concerned.

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Of course, Argento isn’t alone in his criticism. The 2018 “Suspiria” wasn’t the Oscar contender that Guadagnino’s last film, “Call Me By Your Name,” was in 2017. Out of 269 reviews counted, Rotten Tomatoes has given the new film a 64% Fresh rating. The general sentiment surrounding the reimagining is either you think it’s fantastic and something unique…or completely boring, not scary, and a huge miss. It’s safe to say that Argento is in that latter category.

Obviously, we’ll have to see how the 2018 “Suspiria” does in the long run to really see the film’s impact. Guadagnino didn’t make a horror movie that is easily digestible in the same way that any low-budget, jumpscare-filled modern horror film is. Maybe “Suspiria” will find it’s supporters as the film hits home release later this month.