Asia Argento, Brad Dourif, Christopher Rydell

Italian director Dario Argento turns to his family for inspiration in this horror-thriller, his first foray into mainstream American cinema. The plot follows an anorexic teen (played by Argento's daug...( read more  read more... )hter Asia) who teams with a drug addict (Christopher Rydell) to uncover the identity of the man who killed her parents. The character's eating disorder was based on the problems of Argento's other daughter, Anna, who died after the film's release.

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3,132 ratings

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Directed by: Dario Argento

Release Date: March 12, 1993

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DVD Release Date: May 27, 2008

Stats: 135 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (135)


  • October 26, 2008
    although it's one of dario argentos better films it didn't stop me from falling asleep on no less than 4 occasions of trying to watch it. how gay is that?
  • July 10, 2007
    An engaging Dario Argento film, made in America. Aura (Asia Argento) suffers trauma when she witnessed the gorey decapitation of her parents. She seeks help from her psychiatrist Dr. Judd (Frederic Forrest) and her new boyfriend David (Christopher Rydell). The "Headhunter" killer...( read more) is still cutting off peoples' heads, and Aura and David uncover the clues to find the killer. I really liked this quality movie and have watched it a few times.
  • September 13, 2006
    Asia is good in this but it's not among her father's best films.
  • December 23, 2008
    When a young troubled girl watched her parents be killed she turns to a former drug addicted newspaper man that she met while trying to jump off a bridge for help to find out who killed them they soon learn that her parents were just 2 of many others that have been killed by the ...( read more)killer the news has been following. I would say this is one of argento's best movies it had enough suspense and gore to keep me interested but i do have to add that Asia character does get pretty annoying halfway threw or it would have gottan four stars.
  • September 30, 2009
    One of Argentos weaker efforts this. But I suppose you can't make a masterpiece every time. That's not to say that this film isn't good. It's still an incredibly unique thriller. The Cinematography is totally first-rate Argento. (Including what must be the first ever butterfly PO...( read more)V?) So are the many plot twists. Asia Argento is amazing in her portrayal of the tormented anorexic teen. The let downs came in the form of a rather ridiculous soundtrack and the fact that considering Tom Savini was on FX duties, I thought the gore is pretty tame. Look out for Brad Dourif in a glorified cameo.
  • August 12, 2009
    this is cool movie. it's bout teenage asia (the directors daughter) meeting a guy after she runs away from home.aisa is alittle on the weird side...then there's a gloved killer...killin people, while reallly rad music plays.
  • May 4, 2009
    Another great horror from the master of suspense and horror - Dario Argento. Has all the hallmarks of the master although not quite as good as the classic Suspiria
  • March 23, 2009
    First off this isn't Suspiria or Deep Red or even Tenebre but it is still a damn good horror film. It's not Argento's best work, I personally think he hasn't been as good as he can be during his more recent years. This is still a good horror. The effects, done by Tom Savini were ...( read more)incredible and the twist at the end of the movie explains everything including why the killer only decapitates people.

    The acting was good in this movie with people such as Asia Argento, Piper Laurie, and Brad Douriff. The direction was good and the plot was fresh. Argento should have stuck with Goblin to do the scores for all of his movies because this one wasn't as entertaining.

    This is an amazing film and is one of the best I've seen from the '90's. I reccommend this to any horror, Argento, or Savini fan.
  • October 3, 2008
    the argento film that had alota problems with studio, ratings, and every one it seems though it is a bit flawed i felt it was very well done and had some creepy moments in it i rank this one up there with suspria and others i love it and i feel its a fun one and you do keep guess...( read more)ing till the end... and asia dose a nice job also!
  • July 1, 2008
    Dario Argento is a creeper.

    I made some remarks about Do You Like Hitchcock? about the relationship with his daugter. In Hitchcock, Argento's video store has a copy of Asia Argento's Scarlet Diva, which is a pornographic Asia Argento movie. I thought at ...( read more)the time, "Why would he put that movie front and center?" You'd think that he'd want to show some of her work that wasn't considered exploitive or degrading. Worst case scenario, just don't put anything in that shelf of Asia's. Now I think that he's just a straight up perv. No wonder Asia hates her father (although I hear she's doing a new movie with him. What and why?) First of all, Asia Argento is actually 16 when she's in this movie. Somehow, the MPAA said it was cool to have a topless sixteen-year-old on screen. Last time I checked, that's kiddie porn in most states. Second, she is in a sexual relationship with a significantly older man. Um...even in film I'm pretty sure that's not cool. Third, she's his daughter. I don't care if my daughter is 21 and has starred in nonstop porn, I would never film her topless in my movie. I would also talk to her about her pornography career.

    But if I had to rate the movie objectively, I'd have to say that this one is pretty good when it comes to story and suspense. This is another killer story, but adds a bit more gruesome to the table and disguises itself as a supernatural story at times. The basic premise of Asia seeing her parents' murder with the killer carrying both heads is a really great idea. The payoff to this movie is even better. I'm not going to lie. While I figured out who the killer was, I didn't know how the killer did it. That was absolutely fantastic.

    There really is a scariness about this movie. Maybe because Asia Argento is so young and she gets put through the ringer in this movie that the scariness really comes from, but Argento's American effort is a heck of a difference than his Italian films. He still has a lot of the sensibilities that come with being a famous Italian director, but the visual sensibilities of a much higher budget and visual style really do wonders. I can't imagine that this film did fantastically in the United States but I hope it did well enough on DVD. Not from people who are pervs, but from actual horror nuts.

    Argento also does something in this one that I'm not used to seeing in his work and that is the integration of a solid B-story. The subplot of the little boy adds a richer flavor to this movie that I'm not used to seeing in his other movies. Usually, his other movies have steamroller sequences that all have a direct tie to the main character. In Tenebre, when we don't see the main character, we are seeing something from the point of view of the killer that will affect the main character. Yes, there's the John Saxon stuff (the Italians love John Saxon), but that even has to do with the A-Line. In Trauma, the B-line with the little boy eventually and obviously intersects with the A-story, but the boy's tale has a life of its own. Sure, this kid is beyond belief and has the guts that few American children have. (I believe all kids in other countries have been in a "kill-or-be-killed" scenario according to cinema.) But that story is almost as nerve-wracking as Asia Argento's storyline. I find it funny that this is a horror movie that is driven by youth without really the themes of youth or growing up. Really, children are used as tools to advance the story forward and it's a shame that we don't get some more of the depth that could come out of a youth driven storyline.

    This is a good movie, but I just can't forgive what kind of creeper Dario Argento is. Maybe it's my limited American sensibility, but I've read about the disdain that Asia Argento holds for her father. Now it all makes far too much sense. What's even more bizarre is that the nudity isn't even necessary. There's so many other ways to say what you are saying (even though I didn't think it needed to be said). The worst part is that this relationship between the 30-year-old and the 16-year-old is meant to be a sympathetic one. I don't even know what to say about it because Argento even has his other characters make comments reflecting the one I'm thinking of, so I can't even blame it on ignorance.

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