Dario Argento Panico documentary is coming to Shudder in February

Genre icon Dario Argento is the focus on the documentary Dario Argento Panico, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in September – the same time we got our hands on the trailer embedded above. Today, Deadline reports that Dario Argento Panico has been acquired by the Shudder streaming service, and they’re planning to start streaming the in film the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand on February 2nd.

Before we reach that date, the documentary is set to have its U.S. premiere at the IFC Center in New York during their theatrical retrospective Panic Attacks: The Films of Dario Argento, which is set to run from January 31st through February 8th.

Directed by Simone Scafidi and produced by Paguro Film, Dario Argento Panico is said to offer an insightful journey through the life and legacy of the legendary Italian filmmaker, revealing his profound impact on horror and his lasting influence on cinema. It was in the secluded ambience of hotel rooms that Argento crafted his greatest cinematic creations, seeking solace from the outside world to delve into his nightmares. Now, he finds himself in a hotel room to return to the very setting that ignited his creative fervor to conclude his latest script and participate in an intimate interview, all while being followed by a film crew documenting his life for a movie about his illustrious career.

The documentary features exclusive interviews with Argento and other acclaimed directors like Gaspar Noé, Guillermo del Toro, and Nicolas Winding Refn. Fiore Argento, Asia Argento, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Lamberto Bava, Luigi Cozzi, Michele Soavi, Claudio Simonetti, Marisa Casale, Cristina Marsillach, Floriana Argento, and Franco Ferrini also appear in the documentary. Giada Mazzoleni produced, with Manlio Gomarasca executive producing.

Argento has written, directed, and/or produced many films over the course of his nearly sixty years in the industry, including Once Upon a Time in the West, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebrae, Phenomena, Demons, Demons 2, Opera, The Church, Two Evil Eyes, Trauma, The Stendhal Syndrome, The Phantom of the Opera, Sleepless, Do You Like Hitchcock?, Mother of Tears, Giallo, Dracula 3D, Dark Glasses, She Will, and George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.

Mazzoleni had this to say about the Shudder distribution deal: “We are so proud that Shudder, the most prestigious international platform dedicated to genre cinema, has chosen the documentary Dario Argento Panico. In doing so, Shudder not only celebrates the cinema of the greatest living Italian director, but also recognizes his merit in having forever changed the way of making cinema worldwide. This is thanks to his imaginative cities and directing of actors in scenes that have contributed to defining the highest and noblest level of fear on the big screen: that of panic.“

Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman added, “Following our release of Dark Glasses, Shudder is once again privileged to partner with icon of the genre, Dario Argento. To call Mr. Argento influential would understate it. His pioneering work in horror and giallo is as indelible as it is frightening, creating images that live forever in the eyes and minds of audiences and artists across the globe. Panico digs deep to craft an intimate portrait of the master, eye-opening to admirers and newcomers alike.“

Are you a fan of Dario Argento’s work, and will you be watching Dario Argento Panico when it reaches Shudder? Let us know by leaving a comment below.