Abstract

Our paper investigates the ways in which Suspiria (2018) has shifted the understanding and definitions that international audiences have of Italian horror cinema as a genre. Unlike Call Me by Your Name, Guadagnino’s Suspiria elicited a variety of polarized reactions. Thus, we suggest that both the praises and criticism that this film received reveal particular aspects of the identity of Italian cinema and its transnationality. Specifically, the paper analyzes the circulation and distribution of Suspiria (2018), it examines the British and North American reception of the film, and it investigates the ways in which it contributed to reviving the interest in Argento’s Suspiria