In Dario Argento's horror film, Suspiria (1977), a young, American ballet student named Suzy Banyon leaves the states to attend a prestigious ballet academy in Freiburg, Germany. Suzy's first impression of the academy is a bit unnerving as she witnesses another young ballet student, Pat Hingle, running away from the academy in hysterics in the middle of a rain storm. Later, Pat arrives safely at her friend's apartment, but the tables quickly turn as Pat sees a pair of ominous eyes staring back at her through the bathroom window. Suddenly, the mysterious attacker smashes through the window, grabs Pat, stabs her repeatedly and lets her body crash through a glass ceiling. As Pat's body falls through the ceiling, shards of glass and metal fall and hit Pat's friend, killing her instantly from impact. .
Pat's murder is the first in a series of strange, unexplained murders that take place within the parameters of the academy. During Suzy's stay at the academy, she grows seriously ill and has trouble remembering events that happens just days before. During her first dance class, Suzy becomes so sick that she passes out and is moved into the dorms at the academy without her consent. A slur of other unexplainable events begins to occur: the school's blind piano teacher, Daniel, is eaten alive by his own seeing dog after the dog allegedly bites the nephew of the vice directress, Madame Blanc, the school gets infested with a hoard of maggots that fall through the ceiling, and one of Suzy's classmates and friend, Sara, is killed by a mysterious stalker who chases her to the attic and slashes her throat. .
In light of all these unfortunate events, Suzy begins to investigate the academy and Sara's disappearance. After talking to one of Sara's friends, who was actually Sara's psychologist, Suzy discovers that the academy was founded by a witch named Helena Markos who died in a fire. Suzy takes this information and consults Professor Milius who specializes in witches.