Considered a pinnacle of the giallo subgenre, Dario Argento’s masterwork ranks as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and with darn good reason.

Skillfully employing dream logic (the script was co-written by then wife Daria Nicolodi) and gloriously garish lighting techniques, the film is a true modern fairy tale that tells the story of a ballet student (Jessica Harper) who transfers to a German dance academy only to find it is run by a coven of murderous witches.

Argento’s command of shock and suspense is on full display in every blood-soaked scene, but the true secret weapon of this film is the unbelievably scary and propulsive score by the prog rock band Goblin. It all adds up to that rare witches brew: the perfect horror experience.

If you’ve never seen this beauty on the big screen, now’s the time!