Giallo Master Gets His Due in First Trailer for Shudder Doc Dario Argento Panico

One of the most widely respected horror auteurs of all time will be feted in a new documentary coming to Shudder in the near future, as Dario Argento becomes the subject of the film Dario Argento Panico, which released its first trailer today. The Italian legend is regarded as one of the godfathers of his country’s still-influential horror and giallo genres, alongside contemporaries such as Lucio Fulci and Mario Bava. The film arrives on Shudder starting Feb. 2, 2024.

Dario Argento Panico, meanwhile, “offers an intimate look at Argento’s creative journey and impact on horror, with insights from icons like Guillermo del Toro and Gaspar Noé. It promises to explore his on-set demeanor, persona and wry sense of humor, as well as diving deep into the production of various all-time classics such as Suspiria, Deep Red or his collaboration with George Romero on Dawn of the Dead.

Argento’s career began as a writer of comedies and war films in the late 1960s, but exploded into international significance with his giallo directorial debut, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, in 1970. Many other influential giallo would follow, before Argento’s career moved more in the direction of supernatural horror beginning with Suspiria in 1977. This era likewise included films such as Inferno and Phenomena in the 1980s. The always-prolific director has never really stopped working the years since, though one has to note that his work from the 1990s onward has rarely drawn much critical acclaim. Still, the auteur’s golden age run, and other aspects such as his frequent soundtrack collaborations with art rock/prog rock band Goblin, remain deeply influential both in Italian cinema and far beyond. He was likewise followed into the cinema world by equally prolific daughter Asia Argento, who has acted and directed steadily since the early 2000s.

Dario Argento Panico will hit Shudder streaming on Feb. 2, 2024. Check out the loving first trailer below.