Honoring the twisted world of the cult Italian filmmaker, the BFI journeys deep into the surreal scares and graphic aesthetic that define an icon of the Giallo genre in Dario Argento: Doors Into Darkness. A new season dedicated to one of the most influential names in horror, the tribute marks the UK premiere of 17 new 4K restorations, screening courtesy of Cinecittà – including debut The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), The Cat O’ Nine Tails (1971), Deep Red (1975), Suspiria (1977), Tenebrae (1982), and his only U.S. feature Trauma (1993) – with Argento appearing for Q&As and introductions.

Coinciding with the season’s arrival comes the release of a new video essay from the BFI, Strange Phenomena: The Films of Dario Argento – investigating the visual and thematic motifs that solidified Argento’s cinematic imprint.Compiled by season programmer, Michael Blyth, Strange Phenomena: The Films of Dario Argento considers characteristics that have become synonymous with the director, and his hyper-stylized lens on the macabre – through impressionistic splashes of color, surrealist narratives, and complex approach to gender and sexuality. “Unquestionably one of the most influential names in the history of horror cinema,” he explains, “there is no other filmmaker who crafts worlds as exquisitely styled and nightmarishly surreal as Dario Argento. Rarely has terror looked so beautiful.”