About the film
- Directed by
- Dario Argento
- Released
- January 25, 1985
- US theatrical
- August 2, 1985
- Certification
- R
- Country
- Italy
- Starring
- Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Fiore Argento, Federica Mastroianni, Fiorenza Tessari
More credits
- Language
- German, English, Danish, Italian
- Origin
- IT
- Studios
- DACFILM Rome
- Written by
- Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
- Produced by
- Dario Argento, Angelo Iacono
- Cinematography
- Romano Albani
- Music
- Simon Boswell, Claudio Simonetti
- Also starring
- Dalila Di Lazzaro, Patrick Bauchau, Donald Pleasence, Alberto Cracco, Kaspar Capparoni (Karl, Sophie's Boyfriend)
- Budget
- $3,800,000
Dario Argento had always been fascinated by bugs. In the early 1980s, he heard a radio story about a murder solved by insects. A body had been dated by the bugs feeding on it, the stages of decay read backward to a time of death.
PHENOMENA (1985) sends a teenage American girl to a Swiss boarding school where someone is killing students. She sleepwalks. She can command insects with her mind. She befriends a wheelchair-using forensic entomologist and his chimpanzee, and together they try to read the murders through the flies.
The film's budget ran to billions of lire, much of it spent on real insects and arachnids, some flown in from Africa, some bred in Rome.
Jennifer Corvino is played by Jennifer Connelly, fourteen years old, in her first leading role, a year before Labyrinth. The story she tells about her mother walking out on her was Argento's own, from his childhood.
The professor is Donald Pleasence, Halloween's Dr. Loomis. Goblin scored it, with Iron Maiden and Motörhead dropped on top.
Forty years on, Argento's Phenomena is being adapted into a TV series titled Phenomena – The Series by Italy's Titanus Production.
How to see Phenomena (1985)
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Source: JustWatch
Physical media
More editions
Movies they don’t want you to see
Related movies only streaming in other territories
Movies we wrote about
10 commentsDemons (1985)
Etoile (1989)
35 commentsHardware (1990)
25 commentsDust Devil (1992)
10 commentsThe Name of the Rose (1986)
Angel (1984)
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Love this movie.
One of my favorites
So glad to have seen this in a theater when released
Great soundtrack
One of the best! And the scene with the pool… horrifying.
I saw it as CREEPERS and wondered what the hell was going on half the time.
Argento has made arguably better films. But I don’t think he’s made anything more gonzo entertaining than this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink crazy funhouse ride. Amazing score, too.
Matt Grant
Justin Kenny
Phrique 💙🩵❤️
Great film…..even Argentos “worst” are better than most of the crap churned out nowadays
Bonnie Buckner , you seen this?
One of Argento’s more grisly features. Love the music by Simon Boswell and Goblin. If you’re a fan, check out Goblin’s upcoming tour where they perform the soundtracks live to Argento films, followed by a set of their other film compositions.
https://goblinsimonetti.com/tour-dates
I actually put this into the Top #3 of Argento movies…. but damn, Connelly was in quite a few strange movies!
Loved this movie as a kid. So much gross stuff and an interesting story.
Hopefully the chimp wont bite off the leads fingertip this time
Completely bizarre and fun movie. My favorite Argento after Suspiria.
I want to see this!!
Closest thing he ever made to a ‘PG-13’ type movie. I consider it in the same universe as Suspiria.
“A body had been dated by the bugs feeding on it, the stages of decay read backward to a time of death.”
This is called Forensic Entomology.
IL Corvo That’s correct.
Anywhere But Hollywood Also, not my favorite Argento film, but I’ve always had a soft-spot for it. Thanks for featuring it!
Good movie!
I’ve always found her to be the most stunning woman of the ’90s. Literally painfully HOT in Career Opportunities.🥵🥵🥵
That ending always shocks me every time I watch. So good.
Love Phenomena – just one on it’s own – nothing else like it
Cordelia Corky Woods
Amazing film, you genuinely forget the chimp, then when it comes back in at the end it is such a shock.
Argento’s superhero origin story movie. 🪰
This insects would have to be maggots. Happens quite often.
Absurdities be damned, this is my favourite Argento film! With an excellent soundtrack too!
One of my favorite Dario Argento and supernatural horror movies, grossly underrated; I’m proud to own the 3 disc special Synapse film 4K edition
My 2nd favorite Argento! Connelly is so good in this role, she’s mesmerizing
Awesome film
Hollywood approves projects they want to see themselves.
BEST ARGENTO EVER
#SLEEPWALKING
Argento was a genius
I only knew about this movie because I was a big Sex Gang Children fan at the time it came out.