The 1977 Italian horror film about a young dancer at a sinister ballet academy is Suspiria.
Directed by Dario Argento, the film follows Suzy Bannion, an American ballet student who travels to Freiburg, West Germany, to attend the prestigious Tanz Akademie. Soon after arriving, she witnesses disturbing events and discovers that the academy conceals a far darker secret than intense dance training.
Suspiria blends supernatural horror, mystery, and vivid visual style. Argento and co-writer Daria Nicolodi drew partial inspiration from Thomas De Quincey’s 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis, while the film’s striking color design and Goblin’s memorable score became central to its identity. Jessica Harper plays Suzy, with Stefania Casini, Joan Bennett, and Alida Valli in supporting roles.
A common mix-up is confusing Suspiria with Argento’s later films Tenebrae, Deep Red, or The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Those are also influential thrillers, but none centers on a ballet academy ruled by a witch coven. Luca Guadagnino directed a separate Suspiria remake in 2018.