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Inferno (1980) poster

Inferno

dir. Dario Argento · 1980

Feature
Psychological Horror
Mood
Dark / Tense
Look
vivid, stylized cinematography with striking color contrasts and elaborate set designs
Structure
fragmented and dreamlike, with a focus on atmosphere over linear progression
Plot

Riddled with secret but horrid suspicion, young American poet Rose Elliot writes to Mark, her musicology-student brother in Rome, about her startling findings in the dark, dank basement of her New York Art Deco apartment building. Pivoting around the cryptic knowledge hidden in the leather-bound book entitled "The Three Mothers", Rose is convinced that her aristocratic but damned abode is actually an ancient coven for Mater Tenebrarum, the malevolent Mother of Darkness. Little by little, as the siblings delve deeper and deeper into the occult, a mysterious disappearance and an endless string of gruesome killings will bring Mark closer and closer to a surreal nightmare. Where do the long and shadowy corridors of Rose's building lead?

Why watch

"Inferno" immerses viewers in a nightmarish exploration of the occult, where the boundaries of reality blur and familial bonds are tested against a backdrop of urban dread. With its striking visuals and a slow-burn narrative, this film is a haunting journey into the depths of madness and the unknown.

Cultural context
1980s Italian horror revivalexploration of the occult in popular culturefeminist reinterpretations of horror tropes

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