10 Horror Movies About Ballet or Opera to Haunt Timothée Chalamet
From Suspiria to a wild Phantom of the Opera remake
by Alex Kaan 9 March 2026
© Searchlight Pictures
Timothée Chalamet is facing widespread criticism for his viral comments on ballet and opera. Speaking with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas, the ‘Marty Supreme’ actor claimed that “no one cares about [them] anymore.”
For the many who do still care about ballet and opera, we’ve assembled a list of horror movies centred on the two art forms—from two Dario Argento gialli to a slasher remake of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.
Suspiria (1977)
© Produzioni Atlas Consorziate
A young American ballet student travels to a prestigious German school in Dario Argento’s opulent supernatural horror thriller, which boasts a famously spooky score by Italian prog rock band Goblin. The catch? The academy is a front for a coven of witches.
The Phantom of the Opera (1989)
© 21st Century Film Corporation
Phantom meets A Nightmare on Elm Street? Somehow, such a movie exists, with this lush 80s slasher remake featuring Freddy Krueger himself (Robert Englund) as the title character.
Black Swan (2010)
© Searchlight Pictures
One of the rare horror films to yield an acting win at the Oscars (Natalie Portman took home Best Actress), Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller explores a ballerina’s descent into madness when taking on the lead role in a production of Swan Lake. Bonus points for featuring one of the hottest queer kisses in cinema history.
Opera (1987)
© Orion
Featuring a metal soundtrack, a wild roaming camera, and nail-bitingly tense kills, Opera is something of an overlooked gem in Dario Argento’s filmography. Celebrated by many as his last great giallo, the stylish slasher follows a killer who targets the cast and crew of a production of Verdi’s Macbeth.
Wishing Stairs (2003)
© Cinema Service
This queer South Korean horror film follows two aspiring ballerinas competing for a single spot at a distinguished Russian school. Unwilling to leave her fate to chance, one of the girls summons a spirit to make a wish—bringing on deadly consequences. This is the third instalment in the supernatural horror anthology, Whispering Corridors.
Étoile (1989)
© Aristi Associati
Before Black Swan, this eerily similar Italian horror film saw a young Jennifer Connelly get possessed by the spirit of a dead ballerina hell-bent on playing the lead in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
Dance Macabre (1992)
© 21st Century Film Corporation
There are not one, but two Robert Englund-starring slashers set in the world of the performing arts—making the Freddy Krueger actor Timothée Chalamet’s veritable nemesis. Originally developed as a sequel to his earlier vehicle, The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Englund takes on a dual role in this ballet-focused horror film.
The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960)
© Rome International Films
A ballet troupe spends the night in an abandoned castle inhabited by the beautiful Countess Alda in this Italian horror movie. While not a full-blown lesbian vampire film, Alda’s appetite for ballerinas makes this a winning Gothic horror film with a tame but intriguing eroticism.
The Vampire of the Opera (1964)
© Nord Industrial
Again, leave it to the Italians to make a ballet or opera-centred horror film. This 1964 Phantom update is exactly what the title promises—a reimagining of the classic tale with a bloodsucker in place of the usual ghost. Funnily enough, like Dance Macabre to Robert Englund’s Phantom, the Renato Polselli film was initially conceived as a sequel to The Vampire and the Ballerina.
Pretty Lethal (2026)
© Amazon
Releasing on Prime later this month, Vicky Jewson’s action-horror thriller follows a dysfunctional ballet group trapped in a remote inn and targeted by a deranged former prodigy (Uma Thurman).