An american girl Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly) travels to Italy to study at an academy in which she has a gift for communicating with insects.
Also there's a killer on the loose in which she sleepwalks and senses as to who the victims would be in her dreams.

As most of Argento's flicks we spot a mysterious beginning of the story with a tourist missing her bus and stranded in Italy wondering where to go as well as going to some sort of an abandoned home in which these moments looked mildly cheesy for when she tries to call out for help and trying to fins someone.
Then a nice camera shot on a mysterious figure chained up and managing to break being trapped there. Of course a mysterious murder happens. This looked cheesily entertaining before the story takes place some months later.

An american tourist Jennifer Corvino is picked up from the airport to go to her academy. Later on the people riding with her in the car experience bees as this looked creepy by how this was shot. She shows her love for insects like this one and making things not so scary. This was a fairly good and strong moment.

When entering the acedemy the headmistress makes the stay unpleasant as this reminded me of Argento's earlier flick Suspiria as he seems to borrow a bit from that flick. Nevertheless it worked in well to what was going on at this school.

Jennifer ends up sleepwalking and going up on the roof of the academy in which we spot her barefeet stepping on broken glass along with her encountering a close up shot on a victim being smashed from a window and getting murdered. This scene was a near jumping moment and an enjoyable scene for horror fans.

A twisted moment on her sleep walking along a roadway and two teenage boys pick her up and she is struggling as well as these two boys wondering what to do with her, It was rather confusing and making me wonder if they were almost trying to rape her. Definetely looks intense to watch all of this.

A well focused discussion with her and Professor John McGregor in his lab and discussions with his insects as well as these critters reacting strangely and then getting calm when she's there which is a nice touch to the story along with him being impressed with her showing her gift of power.

Before you know it, Jennifer gets tormented by her peers due to her love for insects and gets cornered in which this was strongly well done and looking fairly intense while watching the outcome of this. Good camera shots on this scene as it was drawn in nicely.
Then after this happens a nice twisted moment happens as a swarm of flies swarm outside of the academy in which there's excellent shots on this and how it was done.
The effects were nicely put into the flick. What's spooky about this is that Jennifer tells these insects that she loves them and then passes out. Nice timing on a horror flick indeed.

John's chimpanzee is stuck outside late at night and freaks out by trying to get in including tearing off some wooden shutters as this looked crazy and insane along with John about to try and let his pet inside.
With how this was all set left a sinking feeling that this professor is going to be murdered by how each takes of him seems to come off that way, Definetly suspenseful and well crafted for a horror flick.

The nasty headmistress tries to send Jennifer to a psych ward thinking that she is a diabolic and someone is keeping an eye on her but falls asleep as Jen herself tries to find a way in sneaking out as I watched carefully wondering if she will wake that person up or not. Definetly kept me in suspense.

A deceivingly caring woman Frau Brückner helps Jennifer by hiding her to her mansion so she can contact her lawyer into to flying her back to America. Things look nicely done with the two of them having a discussion but alot of mysterious and strange moments when Frau tells her that mirrors and other objects are covered in cloths due to her mysterious son's safety.
This for sure was a great drawing attention and wondering if we can trust this lady.

Frau tries to manipulate Jen into taking some pills which left me a creepy feeling wondering if she's trying to drug her or not.
This for sure gave me the creeps while watching this wondering if she will do as she says.

When Jennifer tries to run away there's some shocking and gross moments that involves corpses and stuff like that as well as her struggling to escape in which these looked strong and intense.

Jennifer spots Frau's son in a corner as she slowly comes up towards him with good camera takes luring in closer and closer in which this looked spooky and having a feeling on what this child will look like as this is what this scene suggests.
For horror fans you don't want to miss out on this.

It gets even better when she tries to escape in a boat trying to get to shore and so fourth which I won't give this away as the flick earned 3 bats for this in which suring the beginning of the story was a little bit slow. These moments make up for it in a great way.

Jen spots her lawyer there to rescue when she goes ashore in which the camera shots on all of this were carefully focused on this to a point where you get a sinking feeling that something terrifying is about to happen.
This will keep you at the edge of your seat when you watch the outcome.

Bottom line is that this is a very entertaining italian horror flick offering alot of weirdness and mysterious moments in which Argento definetly used elements of his flicks Suspiria and so fourth. He always added a good feel to please horror fans. This one is worth checking out.

The acting seemed a bit dated and some of them might have had their voices overdubbed with american actors since most of these people were italian as I will dig something up here....

Jennifer Connelly (Jennifer Corvino) who played the american student was a bit stiff with her lines but somehow seemed to show off some great intense energy when the terror hits her as well as acting mysterious when communicating with insects in which she knew on how to behave a little unnormal. Plus shows off a great aggressive attitude by not taking any crap along with a no nonsense behavior too as she can seem to get into this fairly well.

Donald Pleasance (Professor John McGregor) always knew his craft as a character actor and does well in this one too. He offers a nice charming and warm behavior in which he brought life to his role big time. Also does well within his conversations and getting to the point of stuff. He was a good choice for this flick like he has in others.

Dalila Di Lazzaro (Headmistress) showed off a good strict, emotionless and sharp attitude within whatever she did in this flick. Defientely comes across well as behaving unpleasantly and not making you stay welcoming with all sorts of strict rules. She was believeable by being like this.

Daria Nicolodi (Frau Brückner) probably stole the show with her performance even if she comes quarter way tinot the story, Definetly shows a good and caring appeal at first as well as having the right looks and motive for this role. Also shows off a sharp and wicked behavior later on with her cold and demanding voice. To top it all off knew on how to act monstrous and insane later on. Shows a ton of versatiles within all that she did and deserves an award for all of this.

Federica Mastroianni (Sophie) has a brief supporting role but not a small one. She was worth mentioning as a roomate in the dorm of the academy in which she spoke her lines clearly and strongly. Was great acting like a somewhat rebellious type. Does a nice job while speaking her lines and shows some nice enthusiasm onto all that she did in her role.

A couple decapitations.
Some bloody stabbings.
A decapitated head and hand is revealed in a lab looking slimy with maggots around them.
Scarred faces are revealed.
Corpses are revealed in a pool.

Simon Boswell, Goblin and a little help from former Stones bassist Bill Wyman were phenomenal with their music in this flick in which at the start of the story we hear deep wavy synthesizer music as this really makes the story look dark and creepy it is a true horror sound. Also in other parts of the story we get to hear icy sounds as well as deep gutiar playing echoing off here and there. To top it off some good smooth harmony vocals from a woman in which these composers often use that in their mlvies they do. Definetly sounds different than american horror music which this sounds better indeed.

Not only that there's a balls to the wall 80's heavy metal composing which fits into the story not too badly such as:

Iron Maiden with their fast stomping tune "Flash of the Blade" the title of the song really fits into what is going on with our main character having a nightmare and a great treat to headbangers like myself while watching the outcome here. It's played in another part of the story too.

Motorhead also performed a song titled "Locomotive" whioch was okay during a moment when paramedics are taking a corpse away but however the song didn't seem to fit in a great deal. A good song regardless.

Headmistress: [about Jennifer Corvino] "The Bible also refers to the devil as Beelzebub, which means 'Lord of the Flies.' Look at her - the Lady of the Flies."

[last lines] Frau Brückner: [attempts to kill Jennifer with a slide] He was diseased; but he was my son! And you have... Why didn't I kill you before? I killed that no-good inspector and your professor friend, to protect him! And now... I'm gonna KILL YOU TO AVENGE HIM! Why don't you call your INSECTS! GO ON! CALL! CALL! [Inga then attacks Frau and slashes her to death]