‘Dario Argento: Panico’ Review – A Compelling Deep Dive Into A Life Of Dark Filmmaking

How does one encompass the entire career of one of the most creative voices in horror? It would seem nearly impossible to paint a complete portrait of Dario Argento’s career, a filmmaker who became known as the “Master of the Thrill” and, in some circles, the “Master of Horror.” His work was so influential during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, that it probably became bigger than the man himself. Even though Argento is anything but conventional, the documentary Dario Argento: Panico offers up a competent montaging of his career that is easy to digest for those casually curious but also doesn’t sugarcoat. His hits and misses are showcased and even Argento is interviewed on camera during several occasions to ensure the audience that his participation played a key role in getting this made. Through this, and all of the people featured discussing the prolific director, you get a clear picture of a life and filmmaker who was never afraid to tap into the darkness in his art.

Director Simone Scafidi uses archival footage and fresh interviews with the filmmaker, his collaborators, and fellow auteurs to present a thorough portrait of what has been a career worthy of so much praise. Profiling one of the best filmmakers to ever contribute art in this medium had to be a daunting task but Scafidi is up for it. His biggest asset is having Argento himself comment on his output. The 83-year-old filmmaker is still making movies today so having him participate here is essential but the director also lets insightful new interviews and footage from the past work in sync with the present to tap into what would appear to be an impenetrable public persona. How much has anyone really known about Argento outside of his work in film? There has always been an air of mystery, which has probably informed a lot of his work. What makes him tick? What drives some of these dark but compelling ideas? It’s an intriguing character study that does a good job of presenting the man in a way that makes him accessible to students just learning about his work and yet doesn’t bore hardcore fans who have studied his films from top to bottom. If anything, fans will have a deeper understanding of a filmmaker they have come to admire.

Hearing filmmakers today who have also similarly broken the mold talk about Argento proves to be truly intriguing. It’s hard to think of some of our hardest-working artists gushing like fans but even the greatest directors are influenced by works of the past. At one point director, Guillermo del Toro describes his work as a “cosmic, angry, evil universe”, something that could similarly be said about some of del Toro’s contributions to film. It’s through these connective tissues of other groundbreaking filmmakers that we get another picture of Argento as a director. His use of vivid colors and claustrophobic framing of shots is displayed as his work is discussed and it frames shots from his films as they’re blended into the documentary while those inspired by him discuss his work that has become a classic within the genre.

The documentary was shot at some of the famous locations that have been seen in Argento’s films and partly at a luxury resort which seems very fitting considering the director wrote most of his scripts in hotel rooms over the years. The choice of setting frames a documentary that captures the tonal effectiveness of the director’s work while also getting into the notion as to why it all has worked over the years. Argento is a director who has a visual voice. Audiences know they’re seeing one of his films as soon as they catch a single frame. His use of colors is a character in and of itself so it’s only fitting that the documentary, complete with its synth-heavy score from Alessandro Baldessari, feels the same way.

Also effective is Scafidi’s choice to lovingly praise the director while also not being afraid to showcase a sort of indictment of his career. Argento’s past work has been heavily praised but his most recent output has waned in critical appreciation. For instance, 2003’s The Card Player is not considered one of the director’s better movies but it proves to be a compelling turning point in the documentary in Scafidi’s presentation of Dario’s daughter, Asia Argento, and their relationship. It’s clear that she has a deep affinity for her father and there is so much love there for him as a person and his tremendous career.

On the other hand, a situation between the two is brought up when it’s discussed that a scheduling conflict on her second film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things and The Card Player, prevented her from doing the latter. The end result was her father not talking to her for several years and you can tell it’s still something that hangs very heavy over her. For a section that begins talking about one of his lesser films, it turns into an insightful look into his mindset and his relationship that is closer to him than any of us could ever be. Whenever she’s on-screen speaking of him, she talks warmly about him as a man and filmmaker but she’s also honest about her frustrations with some of his more questionable personality traits.

However, in a documentary featuring talking heads of admirers, friends, family, and collaborators, Argento, as he should, proves to be the most compelling voice on display. He doesn’t hold back from discussing his career or the more tragic parts of his life, including invading thoughts of suicide and getting candid about the things that scare him. If anyone can grasp the significance of Argento’s life and work it’s Argento himself and whenever he’s featured, Panico is at its most effective.

As a whole, Panico is a love letter to a great filmmaker that is also part monster movie and an illuminating look into what happens when you don’t let your innermost demons completely consume you and use them to infuse your art. Argento might be very left of center but you come out of the documentary with a better sense that being less than normal, has made him one of film’s best creative forces.

Dario Argento: Panico is now streaming on Shudder.