YNMS: "Suspiria" Teaser Kills, Making Lots of "Widows"
Monday, June 4, 2018 at 3:39PM 
Chris here, reeling from the trailer feast happening this Monday. As teased in previous days, we get our first look at Luca Guadagnino's grisly Suspiria rehash and Steve McQueen's heist thriller adaptation Widows. Both films have a host of elements to bring our anticipation to a fever pitch (Suspiria: intriguing director/genre pairing, Widows: the powers of McQueen matched with author Gillain Flynn on writing duties) but that doesn't mean they don't also have their question marks. Do both films find the auteurs reaching for mainstream sensibilities? Is there any Oscar play here? And what of the sizeable female ensembles in both?
Both films are heavily speculated to launch at the Venice Film Festival, since both filmmakers have previously debuted films there. If you haven't already gorged on both (or need a second watch, third, fourth, etc). check out the two fantastic trailers after the jump and we'll break down the Yes No Maybe So)...
Suspiria
YES
- Mood, dread, enigmatic imagery. This is exactly what we want from our horror trailers without giving away too much of the goods.
- And its lack of gruesomeness does a lot to suggest that this won't just be the gorefest suggested by its now notorious CinemaCon footage.
- Great Moments in Title Font alert! Like if they brought Saul Bass back from the grave and he was super pissed about it.
- That stare across the table between Swinton and Johnson is like Carol from Hell. Into it.
NO
- "NAY!" screams the Argento purist, "NAY!" Guadagnino has been promising a reimagining unbeholden to Argento's aesthetics and it proves to be true here. But even the plot looks seperate from the original once you look beyond the fenceposts. Does an "in-name-only" remake borrow too much cachet? Hmmm.
- Oh so that's why the movie will be 2.5 hours! This is a lot of plot threads...
MAYBE SO
- ... the payoff of which seems to be more Swinton. (That heavily made up elderly person is her, gang!) Who are we to complain here?
- That's Thom Yorke of Radiohead delivering this brooding score, perhaps the element that most recalls the original film oddly. However, please tell us Guadagnino serves us at least one aptly used song choice (see "Love My Way" in CMBYN and "Emotional Rescue" in A Bigger Splash) - it's one of his trademarks!
Widows
YES
- See above cast list. Look at it again. Let it guide you in tough times. Put it on a t-shirt.
- It is about damn time that Viola Davis gets to headline a thriller.
- Looks like McQueen is following 12 Years a Slave with a firmly mainstream film that doesn't sacrifice his hard-hitting emotional intensity.
- Folks seem sluggish on the film's Oscar potential, but this looks primed to change once the season really kicks off. Genre or no, the pedigree is enviable and it checks a lot of boxes elsewhere.
NO
- And maybe the middling Oscar talk is because this looks overly familiar plot wise. Is this just the fancy version of the kind of movies Mark Wahlberg releases every January?
- Bad things happen when Jacki Weaver wears wigs.
MAYBE SO
- Hellooooo, Mr. Kaluuya.
- Viola wailing in a power suit. Debicki deflecting. Cynthia boxing. Michelle monologuing. That's the movie and everything else could be set dressing.
As of now, it's an unwavering YES on both. What are your thoughts on the trailers?
Reader Comments (22)
Mark Wahlberg wishes he could be in a movie like this
Widows looks awesome. Suspiria... I don't know. I saw the original a few years ago and it really fucked me up as I'm unsure about this.
chris, so funny! WIDOWS does look like a mark wahlberg movie in fancy clothing! but steve mcqueen's fancy clothing is worth holding out for, hopefully. walhberg would be wailing while wearing a white tank instead of a power suit, though.
Chris: I love your Saul Bass line!
These both look as though they could be good. I'm very excited to see what Guadagnino does to follow up Call Me By Your Name. And yes, good to see Viola Davis headline a thriller!
Opposite from the void99
I don't love the original "Suspiria", but I have mixed feelings about this trailer. I wish it felt less like "elevated horror" in quotation marks and more just horror.
100% yes and 200% yes.
Now I’m just waiting on a trailer for The Favourite, and that’s my 3 most anticipated movies for the year!
Widows looks great (why isn't Carrie Coon listed with the rest of the cast, though?).
I'm not sure about Suspiria. I could not get into the original at all, and the "worm shot" is not going to sell me on this one.
I am really hoping for 'The White Crow' ofrom Ralph Fiennes.
I think could be that art house movie with great history behind that let us without breath.
My ideal art house direction nominess this year would be:
Ralph Fiennes - The White Crow
Luca Guadagninco - Suspiria
James Gray - Ad Astra
Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite
Mike Leigh - Peterloo
The best things come in 3's here's The Children Act trailer with Emma Thompson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV3QsfDMudI
lol I don't think Jacki Weaver is wearing a wig--I just saw some red carpet photos of her with that exact hair. I'm happy she's been steadily working since her Oscar nom (I know she has two, but let's forget the second because an actress that gifted deserves better)
Both look superb! I really hope Widows is a big commercial and critical hit. That cast is so fabulous , McQueen is a visionary director and the creative team he has assembled is pretty astounding. Such high hopes for this one. I think Davis, Debicki and Farrell are the best bets for acting nominations from this one.
Suspiria is also my jam. I appreciate Guadagnino for stepping away from the candy coloured production & lighting design of the original - the original's aesthetic is so superb it would be silly to attempt to recreate. It still, however, looks visually stunning and I am HERE for Tilda. And that score. I wonder how this will fare with Oscars, perhaps a few lone technical nominations?
Yes to both more, obviously a bit less certain regarding Suspiria, but I don’t quite think of the original as being remake proof (it looks spectacular but I think every scene that isn’t a set piece is disposable and the ending is terrible) and there are so many good elements contributing that I’ll be rushing to see it.
When does Widows play on Starz? No
I will be all over Widows like a cheap polyester suit. That cast. THAT CAST. How many Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys among them? How many more nominations? Please let this be a huge Hollywood breakthrough for Erivo. Why isn't November here yet?
all i have to say is WHAT HAPPENED TO ANDREEEEEE?
200% yes on both. W-O-W
Oh, 100% there for both. Bring on November!
And having just watched series 1 of ATLANTA for a second time: Bryan Tyree Henry! YAY!
Yaaaaaas! x 10
Is Dakota Johnson's wig (?) in Suspiria shades of Margaret White (Carrie) or is it just me?
YES YAS YWAS QUEENS TIMES INFINITY
Oh boo on all these naysayers regarding the original Suspiria - Boo, I say! It's a wonderful movie, a surreal visual and aural masterpiece. No one loves it more than I, thus I was very much down on the notion of a remake. But as long as it is out of the hands of a film-making hack (such as Michael Bay for example - ruiner of so many remakes of horror classics) and helmed by a genuine artist like Guadagnino, I'm happy. Even if it fails aesthetically, it won't be a cheapie money grab. I have high hopes.
All "Widows" needs is more Cynthia Erivo than the trailer shows. But it looks all kinds of amazing.