The Stendhal Syndrome

Asia Argento delivers her first great lead performance in this dark psychological thriller, an adaptation of Graziella Magherini’s novel. She stars as Anna Manni, a police officer who’s raped and stalked by a killer (Thomas Kretschmann) after fainting in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery. In interviews, the director has said that he needed an actress who was “spontaneous,” “nervous,” and “modern” for the challenging role of Anna, and while the part was originally conceived with Bridget Fonda in mind, it’s now impossible to imagine anyone but Asia bringing the character to life. Featuring composer Ennio Morricone’s first post–Animal Trilogy score for Argento, The Stendhal Syndrome presents trauma as a communicable virus, and art as a channel for overwhelming self-destructive emotions. 4K digital restoration by Cinecittà.