Inferno

The story isn't the strong point of this film, but it's the captivating atmosphere that draws you in. Dario Argento presents you with incredible images and intriguing scenes and often gets by without many words. He lets you drown in silence, or opts for an ecstatic and nerve-racking musical accompaniment. He knew very well how to evoke horror, and Inferno is just another beautiful example of that. The interiors and exteriors are utilized to an incredible extent in favor of horror, which somewhat nods to Polanski but also to gothic horror. I need to finish the whole trilogy sometime to verify if, after the year 2000, Dario completely lost his power and taste. (11/01/2014)

Inferno really has captivating visuals, and some scenes are so ‘beautiful’ they strongly imprint the viewer’s memory. The problem lies in the non-action. Here, a simple theme extends across several episodes, in which the characters are getting slaughtered throughout long and tortuous sequences. But the storyline doesn’t go anywhere. Compared to its predecessor, Inferno also lags behind in terms of actor performance and music. Still, it’s definitely worth seeing. (06/04/2018)

Visually, this is probably Argento’s most intoxicating and beautiful film. A surreal atmosphere, beautiful colours and so little of a story that it could fit on a pinhead. I didn’t like Inferno at first, like Suspiria, but a second viewing helped me appreciate it. A piece of advice: if you’re beginning with old horror stuff from Italy, leave Argento’s witch flicks for last. Inferno is really beautiful, but there could really have been at least a little bit more of a plot, hence the four stars. (06/30/2008)

Although I wholeheartedly endorse Lucio Fulci’s dictum whereby Argento is as adept as a composer of captivating scenes as he is inept as a scriptwriter, I didn’t mind the lack of story arc in this case, because Argento finally resigns himself to trying to shock us (read: annoy us) with a plot twist, presumably concocted for him by the chimpanzee from Phenomena. This one’s strictly about atmosphere and a beautiful color palette. Then again, just between you and me, the last twenty minutes or so, following the rat attack, again suffer from the highly spurious, implausible catastrophe of a script. That’s not something I’d expect to ever happen in a film by the aforementioned Fulci, not to mention Bava, Lenzi or other master directors. Argento is not my cup of tea. (08/30/2020)

My overall impression is a bit hesitant because Inferno is a considerably uneven film. On one hand, its impressiveness, style, and atmosphere cannot be denied, but on the other, it gives the impression of being confused in many aspects, so confused that I doubted the director's intention - it seems more like the magic of randomness worked. The film resembles a confused dream, a nightmare that troubles us shortly before awakening. A good choice for horror fans, but supporters of a clear plotline and explanatory endings should stay far away from Inferno. Overall impression: 60%. (10/09/2009)