Luca Guadagnino Says He Hopes 'Suspiria' Will Be "The Most Disturbing Experience You Can Have"

It’s a big risk remaking one of the most celebrated horror films of all time. But then again, if you pull together the right cast and crew, then perhaps something magical can happen. For Luca Guadagnino, that’s exactly what he thinks has happened with his remake of the Dario Argento classic “Suspiria.” And the way that he’s hoping to buck the trend of horrible horror remakes is by not copying Argento, but by doing something completely different. But also still scaring the crap out of you.

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In a new interview with THR, the “Suspiria” director talked about his upcoming film, as it prepares to finally debut at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Guadagnino, who is coming off his work on the Oscar-winning “Call Me By Your Name,” decided that the best way to remake Argento’s film is to not try to emulate, but to put his own spin on the material. This started by ditching what the 1977 film is probably best known for — the colors.

Yes, color is used to great effect in the remake, but not how Argento used the technique. “I think ‘Suspiria’ by me is extremely rich in colors, except that we went for a different take. Dario Argento and let’s face it, Luciano Tovoli, his wonderful D.P., they decided to go for an extremely expressionistic way of decoding horror, which started from the work of Mario Bava. The way in which they made those colors — not just simple gels in front of lights, they were using velvet and they were really sculpting the light — [that] has influenced filmmakers for so long. I think everything that could have been said through that style has been said,” explained the director.

He continues by explaining the bold choice to stick with muted colors for his version of “Suspiria,” which was influenced by the time and setting of the film in 1977 Berlin. Guadagnino explains, “And that led me, my production designer Inbal Weinberg, my costume designer Giulia Piersanti and the director of photography Sayombhu Mukdeeprom to go for browns and blacks and blues and greens, all muted and juxtaposed, so that we could in a way encompass this idea of a German Autumn. That’s why the colors are not primary. They do not pop at you. I hope that they infiltrate you and they go deep into you.

READ MORE: Run-Time For ‘Suspiria’ Remake Almost A Full Hour Longer Than Dario Argento’s Original

One thing that Guadagnino hopes that both is “Suspiria” and the Argento original have in common is the fear that audiences will feel when they watch the film. “I hope that the movie comes across as a relentless experience that’s going to go deep into your skin all the way down into your spine. I want the movie to perform as the most disturbing experience you can have. The movie is about being immersed in a world of turmoil and uncompromising darkness,” the filmmaker says.

And for those horror fans wondering what the Italian film legend Argento thinks about Guadagnino taking a stab at “Suspiria,” it sounds like the horror icon gives it the stamp of approval. Guadagnino says, “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.”

“Suspiria” has its world premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival before being released in theaters on October 26.