BLOOD, BRUISES & BALLET
Pretty things can be pretty terrifying.
October brings us pumpkin spice lattes and Pumpkin King Jack. And with Halloween creeping closer, dear U.w.U angels, we’ve picked out three hauntingly beautiful films where ballet meets horror, and beauty dances dangerously close to pain.
Still haven’t made up your mind about this year’s costume? Consider this is your sign! These cinematic heroines are brimming with costume inspo.
Grab your popcorn and get ready to scream as blood meets ballet tutus in the most unexpected way.
♡ A little warning: contains blood, disturbing imagery, and scares. Watch with care if you’re sensitive to these!
SUSPIRIA (1977)
A stormy night. A mysterious ballet academy. And a girl who may have danced straight into a nightmare.
Suzy arrives in Germany to study ballet, only to find herself caught in a series of sinister happenings. Behind the academy’s strange beauty lies a secret, and she may be its next victim…
Forget the usual dark-and-gloomy horror palette. Suspiria is an Italian giallo fever dream of saturated reds, electric blues, and vivid yellows. Geometric compositions, eerie electronic music, and exquisitely detailed interiors creating a lavish, surreal dreamscape where horror feels as beautiful as it is unsettling.
Suzy’s look in her first appearance from the original film makes a perfect Halloween tribute: a white dress, a violet-toned chiffon scarf, and soft brown curls.
Or take Suspiria as your outfit inspo, with 70s vintage dresses, bouncy curls, floaty nightgowns, velvet, and lace. Add bold, vivid eyeshadow and a few dramatic bloodstains for a look that’s so unique.
BLACK SWAN (2010)
Ballet is at the heart of this film.
For ballerina Nina, becoming the lead in Swan Lake is a dream come true. But in the dimly lit rehearsal rooms, ambition begins to twist into obsession. As desire and pressure consume her, Nina spirals into haunting hallucinations.
She finally becomes perfect. But perfection demands its price.
The White Swan
A classic ballet-inspired look: a white tutu, feathered and crystal-studded headpieces framing the angelic face. Shimmering silver-grey eyeshadow feels like tears. Pure, delicate, and heartbreakingly fragile.
The Black Swan
Bold, sweeping black eyeshadow spreads across the eyes like feathers growing from the skin. A pale, matte complexion creates the look of a ghostly porcelain statu; while torn tulle, feathers, and an irregular crown bring a sense of wild, untamed desire to the silhouette.
The perfect Halloween inspo for twin sisters, besties, or with your partner. Because why be one swan when you can be both?
WISHING STAIRS (2003)
Legend has it that the staircase has only 28 steps. But climb it alone at night, counting each one as you go, and a mysterious 29th step may appear. Take that final step, the fox fairy will grant your heart’s deepest wish.
With fierce competition for limited places at a ballet academy, this haunting Korean thriller explores the tangled emotions among young dancers: jealousy, insecurity, possessiveness, unrequited affection, and the ache of love gone awry. More than a tale of ghosts and hauntings, it feels like a bittersweet portrait of girlhood.
Long, straight black hair. Old-school uniforms. Vintage nightgowns. Think a porcelain doll left behind in an abandoned school. Recreate the heroine’s iconic look for Halloween. Isn’t that just the cutest idea?
This Halloween, let your inner ballerina take a darker turn. Stay pretty, stay spooky, angels.
Love, U.w.U. 🩰🩸
