Opera

An aspiring opera singer becomes the target of a fan whose fixation turns dangerous. The stalker moves from whispers to direct interference, threatening the people around her and turning the theater into a pressure chamber. Backstage corridors, crowded aisles, and dimly lit stages heighten the sense that danger could strike at any moment. The story unfolds with a growing sense of claustrophobia as threats spill from rehearsals into performances and private moments, all while the singer fights to keep her voice and her life intact. The tension comes not only from threats but from the way art and obsession collide, revealing how fame can attract both admiration and peril. The film keeps the audience in a state of uneasy anticipation.

Directed by Dario Argento from an original screenplay with Franco Ferrini, Opera arrived in 1987 as part of Argento's era of work. The production carried a budget of eight million dollars and deployed theatrical locations that heighten mood and suspense.

Opera is frequently noted for its operatic visuals and the way it blends art house beauty with brutal carnage. The film's theater settings and its use of sound, color, and framing reinforced Argento's signature approach and left a mark on later European horror that tries to fuse polish with shock.

Critics treated Opera as stylish and formally ambitious, though some felt it relies on familiar Argento terrain. Its themes include obsession, the pull between spectator and performer, and the price of fame. The film leans on atmosphere, pacing, and provocative set pieces to unsettle and leaves a sense of menace.

Box office details are not widely documented, and Opera never became a mainstream blockbuster. In genre circles it is valued for its craftsmanship, theatrical atmosphere, and as a notable entry in Dario Argento's late career, admired by fans and scholars.