Suspiria - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

The film has received critical acclaim from contemporary critics. According to movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 94% "fresh" rating based on thirty-one reviews with the consensus, "The blood pours freely in Argento's classic Suspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory". Rotten Tomatoes also ranked it number 41 on their 2010 list of the greatest horror films. Whilst some critics praise the film's visual performance, use of color and soundtrack, others have criticized it for its lack of sense and puzzling storyline.

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote a mixed review, saying the film had "slender charms, though they will most assuredly be lost on viewers who are squeamish." Dave Kehr of the Chicago Reader gave a positive review, claiming that "Argento works so hard for his effects—throwing around shock cuts, colored lights and peculiar camera angles—that it would be impolite not to be a little frightened". Although J. Hoberman of The Village Voice gave a positive review as well, he calls it "a movie that makes sense only to the eye".

The Village Voice ranked Suspiria number 100 on their list of the 100 greatest films made in the 20th century. Adam Smith of Empire magazine awarded the film a perfect score of five out of five. Empire magazine also ranked Suspiria number 312 on their list of the 500 greatest films ever as well as number 45 on their list 'The 100 Best Films of World Cinema'. AllMovie called it "one of the most striking assaults on the senses ever to be committed to celluloid this unrelenting tale of the supernatural was—and likely still is—the closest a filmmaker has come to capturing a nightmare on film." Entertainment Weekly ranked Suspiria number 18 on their list of the 25 scariest films ever. A poll of critics of Total Film ranked it number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest horror films ever. One of the film's sequences was ranked at number 24 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments program. IGN ranked it number 20 on their list of the 25 best horror films.