Suspiria

How this film uses it

The dancing itself becomes the weapon. Susie's movements break another dancer's body from afar. You feel each twist in your own bones because the film stays on the damage.

Where to see it

Olga in the mirrored room. Trapped alone in the room, she is physically wrecked by Susie's dance while her bones and organs are damaged.

How this film uses it

Tilda Swinton plays Madame Blanc, the aged witch Helena Markos and the psychotherapist Dr. Klemperer, who is credited to a made-up actor. Because you know one actor is behind all three, you notice the performance instead of disappearing into one person.

Where to see it

Klemperer's last scene. The day after the sabbath he learns what happened to his wife Anke at Theresienstadt, and a seizure erases his memories.

How this film uses it

The academy is a coven with ranks and rules. The pressure to belong and obey is what frightens you, more than any single monster.

Where to see it

The sabbath. Susie reveals herself as Mother Suspiriorum and kills Mother Markos and the matrons loyal to her.

How this film uses it

Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom used long zooms, which were fashionable in the 1970s, and visible grain to bring back the look of films from that decade. The colors are sparing and the mood is wintry and dark. You feel the decade in the camera.

Where to see it

The Volk performance. In the film's six-minute climactic dance sequence, Susie leads the academy's piece while Sara dances in a trance and then collapses in pain.