Inferno Reviews

Inferno is Dario Argento's masterpiece, thanks in part to a near collaborative effort from Italian horror pioneer Mario Bava. As the second part of The Mother of Tears trilogy, Argento tackles the mystical world of alchemy. The scenes play out like a fever dream, neon pink and blue glowing from every window as if the moon was illuminating the night in these colors. The set pieces add to the nightmarish landscape: a hole in a basement floor leading to an underwater room, the alchemist lair with boiling pots, even the building's architecture. The killer does not wear black gloves, instead we see his creepy demonic hands which is a nice change of pace. There are some flaws, poor dubbing and a rather annoying musical score. But the use of colors, set design, and bizarre scenarios places Inferno right at the top alongside Suspiria as Argento's best work.

Argento score card:
Blood - 6
Scares - 9
Music - 5
Lusty women - 4
Camera work - 8
Color palette - 10
Crazed animals - 8 (possessed felines, killer rats, a neck chomping seeing-eye dog, and a pigeon thrown at Daria Nicolodi's head)

Total score: 50/70