What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedSuspiria
Dario Argento · Film · 1977
If you loved Suspiria, start with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1938) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Suspiria across media.
What hooked you in Suspiria was the way a seemingly ordinary institution hides a rot of supernatural conspiracy and ritualistic dread.
Start with the source
The source
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
David Hand · Film · 1938
Adaptation
Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs
Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm · Book · 1972
Books on the same thread
The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux · Book · 1977
Explores: obsession, unrequited love, beauty vs. ugliness.
Like the ballet academy in Suspiria, this story centers on a performer trapped within a beautiful, obsessive environment where a hidden, sinister presence dictates the dark reality.
Ghost Story
Peter Straub · Book · 1979
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Supernatural Horror.
This tale echoes the creeping sense of doom found in Suspiria, focusing on how past transgressions fester and manifest as inescapable supernatural threats within an unsuspecting community.
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco · Book · 1984
Explores: Religious Heresy, Medieval Philosophy, Secrets and Conspiracy.
If you enjoyed the architectural mystery of Suspiria, this investigation into a secluded, secretive abbey reveals how rigid institutions often mask deadly conspiracies and deep, ancient secrets.
The Haunting of Hill House
Shirley Jackson · Book · 1987
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Supernatural Horror.
This novel mirrors the psychological erosion seen in Suspiria, placing characters inside an imposing, sentient structure that slowly unravels their sanity through isolation and inexplicable supernatural phenomena.
Series on the same thread
American Horror Story
Ryan Murphy · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Supernatural Horror.
The witch coven and haunted settings here directly mirror the occult atmosphere of Suspiria, exploring how power dynamics within enclosed, sinister groups lead to terrifying and transformative consequences.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Supernatural Horror.
This series captures the conspiracy-driven tension of Suspiria by juxtaposing a vulnerable protagonist against a hidden, experimental reality that threatens to consume everyone within their small town.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Occult.
Much like the investigation in Suspiria, this story uses a central death to peel back layers of surreal, existential dread hidden beneath the surface of an otherwise quiet community.
Berserk
Series · 1997
Explores: Betrayal, Sacrifice, The Cost of Ambition.
This dark fantasy reflects the menacing, shadow-filled world of Suspiria, focusing on how ambition and betrayal within an elite group lead to a violent and supernatural reckoning.
Podcasts on the same thread
MALIKMATA
Podcast
Shares a thread with Suspiria: Supernatural Horror.
These stories tap into the same visceral, folklore-based fear found in Suspiria, grounding supernatural encounters in a specific cultural reality that makes the horror feel disturbingly close.
Scary Pumpkin Horror Podcast
Podcast
Explores: Creepy, Fear, Nightmare.
These tales mirror the relentless, chilling suspense of Suspiria, providing a focused exploration of nightmare scenarios where supernatural forces intrude upon the lives of the unsuspecting.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Suspiria based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?
While Suspiria is not a direct adaptation, it draws thematic inspiration from the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Both stories center on a young woman entering a secluded environment where she encounters a powerful, sinister female figure who governs the setting from behind the scenes.
What is the plot of Suspiria?
Suspiria follows an American student who travels to Germany to attend a prestigious ballet academy. She soon discovers that the school serves as a front for a sinister organization, a realization that occurs alongside a series of grisly murders taking place within the walls of the institution.
Should I read the book Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs if I liked Suspiria?
If you enjoyed the dark, atmospheric elements of Suspiria, reading the 1972 book Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs provides an interesting look at the source material that influenced the film. It highlights the archetypal narrative structures that Dario Argento subverted to create his unique vision of horror.
Is the 1938 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs related to Suspiria?
The 1938 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is not a direct precursor to Suspiria, but it shares fundamental narrative beats. Suspiria utilizes these classic fairy tale tropes to build its own unique story about an American newcomer trapped in a dangerous, occult-driven German ballet academy.