After a cruel practical joke goes horribly wrong, a young student is left in a coma. Her spirit subsequently possesses the body of a newcomer to an American girls' college, using her as an instrument of revenge against those responsible, as a series of increasingly violent and supernatural deaths begins to unfold.
Directed by Lucio Fulci, from a screenplay co-written with Giorgio Mariuzzo, Ænigma was produced by Boro Banjac and Ettore Spagnuolo, with Walter Brandi serving as executive producer. Vanio Amici handled the editing, Luigi Ciccarese the cinematography, and Carlo Maria Cordio the musical score.
Although comparisons can be drawn with Carrie (1976) and The Medusa Touch (1978), this feels much more like Fulci's own take on Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985), which preceded it by two years.
There are a handful of suitably gruesome set pieces, including severed heads and the memorable snail sequence. There's some nudity and seduction thrown in for good measure. The make-up and practical effects mostly hold up, while the model work adds to the film's old-school genre appeal. Fulci's involvement in the special photographic effects is another welcome touch.
The cinematography has its limitations, but the on-location setting in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, lends the college an imposing, atmospheric character that works particularly well within the film's supernatural framework. The production design makes good use of the buildings and surroundings, giving the fictional American institution a distinctive visual identity along with some fresh faces.
It's a step away from Fulci's own Zombie Flesh Eaters, and the likes of The Beyond or City of the Living Dead, but if you want to see a faux Argento, this is it.
Ultimately, though, it is the alluring Lara Naszinsky (credited elsewhere as Lara Lamberti), in the lead role of Eva Gordon, who provides much of the film's appeal. She brings a welcome presence to an otherwise uneven production.
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