Dario Argento hasn't done too many sequels in his day. He typically offers up a fresh story with new characters for most, if not all, of his films. Save for the Three Mothers. Argento's masterpiece, SUSPIRIA, offered audiences the first glimpse into the world of the Three Mothers, a world of gruesome death and supernatural witchcraft. Suspiria showed us one of the Three Mothers and her coven in a terrifying self-contained story. The next film would not only reveal the second mother but also the third and expand the story far beyond the confines of the dance academy of Freiburg, Germany.
In Argento's 1980 classic INFERNO, the director stepped once more into the world of witches. Rather than repeating the same beats as Suspiria, Inferno does a bit of world building. In Suspiria the story was rather self contained only vaguely alluding to the presence of other witches. Inferno serves that time honored sequel purpose of moving the story forward while at the same time filling in the background and history surrounding Suspiria and laying the groundwork for the third film. That's a big task to complete and as a result Inferno hasn't received the proper respect it deserves.
THE PLOT
Rose lives alone in a very old, very big apartment building in New York City. While shopping at a rare and antique book store Rose comes across a volume entitled "The Three Mothers." Within the pages is described the construction of three buildings at different locations around the world for the three greatest evil beings in human history. Suspecting that her apartment building is one of the homes of the Three Mothers, Rose begins investigating the history of her building. What she discovers terrifies her. She sends a letter to her brother, Mark, studying in Rome about her fears. When Mark tries to get in contact with her he finds that she has mysteriously disappeared. Mark travels to New York, picking up the investigation of the Three Mothers where Rose left off. The darkest forces of evil quickly begin aligning against him.
WHAT I LIKED
Slow Burn. Where Suspiria moved relatively fast Inferno opts for a slower build up. There are a number of more drawn out sequences which offer a different kind of scare. The opening sequence where Rose investigates the flooded basement of her apartment building is one of my favorite scenes in the movie and an excellent example of atmosphere. There are many great sequences in the film in which Argento flexes is creative filmmaker muscles. There are still plenty great scares to be found too and horrific imagery to satisfy your gore-tooth.
Unique Identity. Many horror sequels from the 1980's basically repeat the formula from their predecessors. That's all well and good and I enjoy many of those films. But Argento's approach to a sequel is quite a bit different and that, I feel, is a strength of the film. Rather than simply repeat all the beats from Suspiria, Inferno's approach is completely different. From narrative structure, to the music, and the scares, Inferno has its own identity. If you're expecting just a repeat of Suspiria then you will likely be disappointed. Inferno functions as a unique film all its own.
You're One Ugly Mutha. Suspiria revealed to us the Mother of Sighs or Sorrow. Inferno focuses on the Mother of Darkness and, just like Mater Suspiriorum, she is a piece of work. One of my favorite parts of Suspiria is final reveal of the witch mother, a moment that totally pays off. The grand finale of Inferno likewise doesn't disappoint. I mentioned earlier how this movie does a lot of world building for the trilogy and that's what makes Inferno's narrative so interesting too. Learning about the different mothers and their places of power is very intriguing. We also get to see the third mother briefly, Mater Lachrymarum.
NITPICKS
Leading Hero. If there's one major aspect missing from the film it's a compelling main character to follow. Suspiria had a great lead in actress Jessica Harper. Inferno takes a very different approach in that you're not quite sure who the main character is. You follow one character for a while and then they die. You follow another who you think will be the main character and then they die too. And the sad part is that when we finally get to the main character they're the least compelling of the group. It's hard to sell a male lead in a horror movie. It has been done before but it isn't done as well here.
THE VERDICT
The second chapter of the Three Mothers trilogy stands strong on its own two legs. Inferno does all the heavy lifting of world building while telling its own story too. There's well crafted and atmospheric scenes that are memorable and eerie as well as Argento's signature murder scenes and scares. The movie keeps you on your toes by dispatching one would-be hero after another but sadly fails to deliver an ultimately compelling hero. But we don't watch these movies for the heroes. We watch them for the villains and Mater Tenebrarum is certainly impressive. All in all Inferno is an impressive horror film and a worthy sequel.
Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10
For more giallo films, witches, and Dario Argento masterpieces check out the films below!
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