Phenomena aka Creepers (1985) Review

I just re-watched Phenomena. I had to do it. It's the type of film that is so fun to watch that you won't be satisfied by just one view. Come to think of it, when I first saw it I ended up watching it three times in a week. It still entertained the pants off me (speaking figuratively of course) the fourth time around. Italian horror guru and master of suspense Dario Argento birthed Phenomena unto the world. It's a prime example of Argento at his best, and he claims it to be his most personal film. His style of direction is something you have to watch to truly appreciate. For anyone unfamiliar with his work, Phenomena is a good place to start.

Phenomena operates under approximately the same premise as one of his earlier (superb) works, Suspiria. Both movies follow a young girl as she arrives at an all-girl boarding school nestled in a quaint, out-of-the-way spot. In each movie girls start showing up dead, and the cause is inevitably supernatural. Suspiria opened a lot of doors for Argento in his directing career, so it makes sense that he would revisit its theme for Phenomena, which had a wider international release and was intended for more than just the Italian horror market. Phenomena stars a young Jennifer Connelly (pre-Labyrinth) and Donald Pleasance (Dr. Loomis from the Halloween series) in great roles, and almost the entire film was originally recorded in English, which minimizes the need for shoddy dubbing. The plot is truly original. Jennifer Connelly is the daughter of a famous film actor. She also sleepwalks and can communicate with insects via mental telepathy. She meets a famous entomologist, played by Pleasance, who lives near her new school. He also is confined to a wheelchair and lives with a chimpanzee that acts as his nurse and best friend. The two work together, aided by insect, to solve the grizzly homicides plaguing the area. Mix in some brutal murder scenes and you have yourself one kick ass flick.



Dario Argento always takes his subject matter seriously, even when making movies that often get relegated to the “B” category of the film world. I've never thought of him as a B-movie director. He brings his A-game to nearly every project he's worked on. His dedication to his craft is particularly evident in Phenomena. The production involved swarms of insects, often shot in close-up; a chimpanzee that executes some impressive stunts; and a fairly large cast of child actors. Despite all the difficulties involved in working with all of those different elements Phenomena, for the most part, comes off seeming like a well-balanced and well-polished film. Strangely enough, one of the very few detractors from the seamlessness is the soundtrack. Argento movies usually have kick ass soundtracks. This one has a few original pieces written for it that are quite effective, but there are scenes where he attempted to layer death-metal-type songs over moody brooding imagery and it doesn't work for a second. The imagery and pacing of the scenes remains top notch, but the Iron Maiden and Motorhead songs stick out like a couple sore thumbs. However, I assure you that by the end you'll have forgotten all about any minute detail that bugged you about Phenomena. The last 15 or 20 minutes stand out in my head as some of the most memorable scenes to ever cap off a horror film. It's almost a crime to write this review and not be able to spoil it. I won't ruin it, but I will say this: it involves corpses, fire, a spear, a straight razor, deformity, insects, a chimpanzee, and decapitation. Not in that order, though.