The Suspiria remake is one of the more disturbing horror experiences of the year, with star Dakota Johnson having previously revealed that shooting the film resulted in her feeling the need to head into therapy. With those comments seemingly misrepresenting her time working on the film, she clarified that,having not starred in a film with such dark subject matter, she wasn’t emotionally prepared for how she would absorb the intense material of the narrative.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“First of all, I was not psychoanalyzed and I hope I never will be,” Johnson shared at a press conference promoting the film. “I find sometimes when I work on a project and — I don’t have any shame in this — I’m a very porous person and I absorb a lot of people’s feelings. When you’re working sometimes with dark subject matter, it can stay with you and then to talk to somebody really nice about it afterwards is a really nice way to move on from the project. My therapist is a really nice woman.”
In the film, a darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the troupe’s artistic director (Tilda Swinton), an ambitious young dancer (Johnson), and a grieving psychotherapist (Lutz Ebersdorf). Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.
Despite that intense darkness being experienced on set, Johnson also revealed that shooting the horror film also provided her with incredibly joyful moments.
“It was the most fun and the most exhilarating and the most joyful that it could be,” Johnson admitted. “It’s mischievous and play[ful] and I love it more than anything. It wasn’t that this film sent me to a ward, I just have a lot of feelings.”
The actress herself wasn’t the only one to have conflicting reactions to the film, with the first reactions to screenings resulting in polarizing interpretations, as some outlets praised its accomplishments while others dismissed it as pretentious trash. Johnson, however, would much rather star in films that spark these passionate reactions.
“It’s a true work of art on [director Luca Guadagnino’s] part. I am thrilled to be a part of it. Of course, it’s nice to be involved in a film where everybody leaves the theater happy, but then, do they go home and talk about it?” Johnson shared with Inquirer. “It’s a privilege to be involved in a film where people want to argue about what’s happening, because it’s really time for art to express the things that we need to express. People are ready for it. It’s an interesting moment, especially in cinema. And the fact that it’s a film with a cast of 40 women, but it is still controversial—perhaps we do need to focus on other things?”
Fans can see Suspiria for themselves, as it’s in theaters now.
[H/T Entertainment Weekly]
