Review: Phenomena

American teenager Jennifer Connelly arrives in Switzerland to attend a boarding school where students are being stalked and killed. She spends time with a wheelchair-bound Scottish entomologist (Donald Pleasence, barely attempting an intermittent Celtic brogue), who learns the girl has some kind of telepathic link with insects. A young-ish Patrick Bauchau plays a cop, whilst Daria Nicolodi turns up as an associate of Connelly’s father.

 

Often brutal, occasionally bizarre, sometimes disgusting 1985 film from director Dario Argento and co-writer Franco Ferrini (“Once Upon a Time in America”, “Demons”, “Two Evil Eyes”) is one of Argento’s best films. It’s very slick, bravura filmmaking with top-notch cinematography by Romano Albani (“Inferno”, “Troll”), and at times has a real dream/nightmare-like quality. It’s also got a little of the wonderfully energetic camerawork of Argento’s very good “Opera”. As with Argento’s two other best films “Suspiria” and “Inferno”, this one is a masterpiece in atmosphere, this time a rather bizarre atmosphere at that. It’s quite peculiar, and for some may be rather off-putting…especially if you have a natural aversion to creepy crawlies.

 

A teenaged Jennifer Connelly is terrific as one of the more unusual horror movie protagonists. There’s a little bit of “Carrie” about her I suppose, but with an affinity for bugs instead of telekinesis. Yet, unlike Sissy Spacek’s Carrie White, Connelly looks every bit the teen model, so she’s perhaps not quite as believable as a teen outcast. Connelly’s not in peak acting form here or anything, but she’s got obvious presence and charisma that can’t be taught. For a teenager she does a damn good job with what is a pretty intense film role. I mean, she’s got to put up with Argento, notorious scene-stealer Donald Pleasence, and a chimpanzee. Yes, a chimpanzee is here. I told you the film is weird as hell. Look for the very funny bit where the chimp is pushing a wheelchair and chewing on the handlebar. As for Mr. Pleasence, his character has a similar sense of dread as his Dr. Loomis in the “Halloween” series, but with a tired resignation. It’s good, understated work in a not terribly understated film, though as always with Pleasence, his version of understatement is still pretty scenery-chewing. Bless his heart. Daria Nicolodi is absent for much of the film, but when she turns up again towards the end, she’s quite good.

 

The opening murder of a schoolgirl is bravura visual filmmaking and disturbing, too. Argento isn’t fucking around here, giving us a decomposed severed head crawling with maggots early on. The finale is absolutely icky in the best way possible. The score by Goblin is typically top-notch, and the soundtrack includes Iron Maiden’s ‘Flash of the Blade’ as well as tracks by Motorhead and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

 

Really good, oddball fun with a visually stylish filmmaker in full brutal flight and its own disturbing, weird atmosphere. Perhaps 10 minutes too long, but what do you cut out? (Certainly not nearly as much as the 83 minute version entitled “Creepers” did. Avoid that title like the plague).

 

Rating: B