Best Horror Movie You Never Saw: Phenomena (1985)

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Welcome to Arrow in the Head's The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw, which will be dedicated to highlighting horror films that, for one reason or another, don't get as much love as we think they should. We know plenty of you horror hounds out there will have seen many of the movies we pick, but there will be plenty of you who have not. This column is for all of you!

This week we take a look at Dario Argento's PHENOMENA (WATCH IT HERE – OWN IT HERE), starring Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasance and Daria Nicolodi!

THE STORY: Young American Jennifer (Jennifer Connelly) is attending a special academy for girls in Switzerland while a killer terrorizes the countryside. Jennifer, it just so happens, has a special connection to insects – she can communicate with them via telepathy – which comes in handy when local entomologist McGregor (Donald Pleasance) asks her to aid him and the police in finding the mysterious murderer. Using her insect pals as extra eyes and ears – and utilizing some help from McGregor's helper chimpanzee Inga – Jennifer ultimately uncovers the identity of the killer, which is more bizarre than could have been imagined.

THE HISTORY: Writer-director Dario Argento evidently got the idea for PHENOMENA when he heard that insects are sometimes used by police in murder investigations. The lead role of Jennifer went to Jennifer Connelly, in only her second film role after Once Upon a Time in America (made by Argento colleague Sergio Leone), then just 13-years-old. Filming took place in Switzerland in 1984, with Argento casting Donald Pleasance in the crucial supporting role of entomologist John McGregor, although the role was originally written for acclaimed director Peter Ustinov. He also cast his one-time life partner and collaborator Daria Nicolodi in the role of Jennifer's shady guardian, even though he had originally given the role to someone else. (This apparently led to considerable tension between the two on set, understandably so.) Giorgio Armani, of all people, designed the costumes.

The film was released in 110-minute form in Italy (trimmed from 116-minutes) and was subsequently bought for U.S. distribution by New Line Cinema, which completely altered the film, cutting 27 minutes from it and releasing it in a mangled 83-minute cut (with whole scenes cut and several sequences trimmed substantially). Thankfully, all three versions can now be seen.

WHY IT'S GREAT: As mentioned in my look back at Dario Argento's INFERNO, the infamous Italian helmer is a mixed bag for me. I dig plenty of his more well known films, like Suspiria and Deep Red (and the aforementioned Inferno), but I would say more than half of his films leave me cold – not to mention perplexed and frustrated. But when the director is on his game, that is to say, crafting sequences filled with beautiful cinematography, shiny killing instruments and copious amounts of blood, he's a ton of fun to watch. Phenomena, also known as Creepers in its heavily-edited form, is a hell of a good time. Look at that synopsis above and tell me this flick doesn't have it all. A young Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasance and his trusty butler-chimpanzee, swarms of psychic insects, deformed children, beheadings – Phenomena is a bag of nuttiness, a movie that demands your attention if not exactly your comprehension. 

As can always be counted upon, Argento's bread and butter is in creating boffo sequences of murder and horror, as opposed to deliberately laying out a sensible narrative. Phenomena has several compelling scenes, starting right at the beginning with the murder of a teenage girl – who just happens to be Argento's own daughter Fiore. (Leave it to Dario to cut off his own daughter's head and have it tumble into a waterfall.) There is also a honey of a murder weapon, a long, phallic metal pole that attaches in three parts with a blade attached to the end. I don't know where this thing came from, but it's quite a memorable piece of hardware that does some major damage. Most of the scare scenes are complimented by heavy metal tracks; the soundtrack includes songs from an eclectic bunch: Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Simon Boswell and, of course, his frequent collaborators Goblin. Argento's soundtracks are always a little all over the place, especially in terms of how they're used within the picture, and that's no different here. Still, it adds to the surreal, nightmarish atmosphere that the movie generates, these metal songs appearing out of nowhere…

The entire movie builds steadily and creepily, leading to a third act that is you-gotta-see-this-to-believe-it type stuff. If you haven't seen Phenomena before, I won't dare spoil the events that happen in the last 30-or-so minutes here; just rest assured that you'll either be laughing your ass off or your jaw will be on the floor, stunned into stagnation by what Argento has cooked up. There is just a lot going on here, all leading to a couple of outstanding kills that will delight any aficionado of such things. You will also hear the line, "Stay there, and in a little while I'll kill you!" which is very special indeed, and that's not the only howler spoken by a member of the cast.

Speaking of the cast, you have to tip your hat to them, especially Connelly and Pleasance, who manage to keep straight faces throughout. Connelly's performance isn't a classic, but you can definitely call it engaging. She's an angelic presence, that much is sure, and it's not hard to imagine the producers of Labyrinth seeing her and being taken with the ethereal aura she gives off here. (She was cast in Labyrinth right as Phenomena was being released in Italy.) Pleasance lends solid support as ever, and the relationship between the Jennifer and McGregor characters is genuinely enjoyable to watch. Hell, one even has to admit Inga the chimp gives a fairly effective performance, portraying a monkey out for vengeance. Yes, this movie does have it all. 

BEST SCENE: The last five minutes or so are just stupendous. Again, I won't spoil what happens here, but if you've ever wanted to see a chimpanzee wield a straight-razor, this is the movie for you.

WHERE TO WATCH: The best way to see the film is Synapse Films' definitive Blu-ray release, which boasts all three versions of the film, as well as trailers, a commentary and a documentary about Argento. You can also check Phenomena out on Tubi, Amazon Prime and iTunes.

PARTING SHOT: Phenomena is a phenomenal bit of surreal entertainment, surely a one-of-a-kind horror fairy tale that might just leave you speechless. Even if you're not an Argento fan, you can't deny that he went all-out for this one.