Nerds That Geek Documentary Review: ‘Dario Argento Panico’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Dario Argento in Simone Scafidi’s DARIO ARGENTO PANICO. (Photo Courtesy of Shudder. A Shudder Release.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the documentary feature, ‘Dario Argento Panico.’
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Something that is genuinely intriguing about the horror genre, is how little is known about the greats that have stuck terror into our hearts. Because one would think in this modern era of storytelling and social media, where everyone’s lives are put on display, that the titans of the industry, the ones who made horror the juggernaut it is today, would have their stories displayed in front of us. But some of the losses in the genre that have come our way, alongside an obvious desire to keep to themselves unless they’re telling tales of terror, has kept their stories away from us.

But as time continues to march on, and classics are discovered by new generations, the demand to know about the men that shaped the genre’s current course, has grown to a fever pitch. And slowly but surely, we are seeing more interviews, more podcasts and more everything about these greats. In fact, Shudder is now home to quite the pivotal documentary about one of the most important men to ever grace the genre, Dario Argento. Who let’s be honest… is someone we know little about outside of his contributions to the genre and his incredible work ethic, since he continues to make films well into what is normally considered to be our twilight years.

But Dario Argento Panico really does change all of that. For documentarian Simone Scafidi had the opportunity to not only sit down with Dario to discuss his illustrious career, which he gladly does but he also takes the time… to explore Dario’s life as a whole. From his humble and unique origins as a boy that was born into celebrity and cinema. Since his mother and father were indeed connected to that world and clearly, it rubbed off on the man that is oft called ‘The Maestro.’ To the point where he started his humble beginnings behind the camera, which in turn gave rise to the legendary films we know today and fawn over. All of which is presented to us in a very linear fashion, and that brings forth a fascinating chronicling of the Maestro’s life. 

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Wherein the story spends time exploring each one of Dario’s films, and how they were crafted, and some of the memories that all involved harbor about the particular story they worked on. Which does indeed provide us with the insight we crave. Such as how Dario crafted the madness of Suspiria and the brilliance of Deep Red, and what brought the iconic music of Goblin into some of his notable works. Which are details you just don’t often see in documentaries about the greats, since the person are what is oft celebrated while their works are acknowledged in brief. But here, it really is about Dario’s work and his contributions and that leads to more unique moments.
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Since this process also allowed for legends of the industry to speak to their reflections upon Dario’s work and how it impacted them, the beauty they found from it and the meaning and subtext they gleaned from it. Giving rise to fascinating reflection upon his work, that is also enhanced by way of interviews with family members and friends regarding his work, regarding their personal experiences with Dario and the particular project in question. Which allows for us to see a far bigger picture about his life and his impact upon others both positive and negative, since not everyone can speak to a flawless experience in working with the Maestro.

However, that does paint quite the comprehensive picture, one that speaks to Dario’s life and his work and really gives us an understanding as to who he is, how his work came to life. If anything, the only complaint that arises from this documentary, is that it doesn’t offer us enough when it comes to Dario’s creative process. Simply because it covers so much and dives into so much. But even then, that’s a small complaint to offer. For you do learn a great deal about the Maestro here and really come to understand his vast and fascinating body of work in a new light and that, makes this a worthwhile watch for anyone that is eager to pull the curtain clear of true genius and learn how a family man gave life to so many nightmares.

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