There is something irresistibly seductive about the world of The Phantom of the Opera, the new film by Alexandre Castagnetti, which offers a contemporary adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s celebrated novel of the same name. Perhaps it is the magnificence of the Palais Garnier in Paris, where almost the entire film was shot, with its gilded halls, monumental staircases and underground labyrinths, or maybe the magnetic presence of Deva Cassel and Julien De Saint Jean, who act out a love story that defies the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead. What is certain is that the film, which had its world premiere in the Grand Public section of the 21st Rome Film Fest, wins us over first and foremost through its images, immersing viewers in a world suspended between reality and fantasy, where the theatre becomes a place of wonder, obsession and danger.

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In present-day Paris, Anastasia (Deva Cassel) is a young Romanian dancer who manages to break into the exclusive and ruthless world of the Opéra. While rehearsing for Orpheus, a cursed work attributed to the legendary Phantom of the Opera, she encounters a mysterious pianist (Julien De Saint Jean) in the theatre’s winding corridors and becomes fascinated by him. But behind the enchantment lurks a supernatural presence, while a series of accidents and a healthy dose of superstition threaten to derail the performance. The story thus unfolds along two parallel paths: on the one hand, the coming-of-age journey of a passionate artist prepared to do anything to achieve excellence, alternately supported and thwarted by her best friend and rival Georgina (Laïka Blanc-Francard); on the other, an impossible love affair that turns the myth of the Phantom of the Opera into a dark romance, seeking to bring a classic work closer to contemporary audiences.

It is in this blending of genres that The Phantom of the Opera finds its distinctive voice. Castagnetti, who grew up in a family deeply connected to opera (his father is a tenor), sees cinema as a form of total spectacle, capable of bringing together music, dance, love and imagination. His reinterpretation openly draws on Black Swan and Whiplash to explore the price of artistic ambition, a theme also embodied by the choreographer James (Romain Duris), who is willing to do anything to secure his place in history; at the same time, it borrows from the romantic worlds of Twilight, Beauty and the Beast and The Shape of Water. The result moves between psychological thriller, with its unsettling atmosphere and growing confusion between dream and reality, and romantic melodrama, accompanied by a pop soundtrack that brings the story closer to the conventions of teen cinema.

While this choice makes the tale more accessible and dynamic, it also risks dissipating the tension built around its darker side. Nevertheless, the movie retains a solid entertainment value: its 135 minutes pass pleasantly, sustained by a lively pace, well-cast actors and a skilfully orchestrated plot. Particularly striking is the attention devoted to the artistic and musical elements, the result of a considerable production effort. The score, inspired by late-19th-century Romantic opera, and the contemporary ballet performed within the palace were created specifically for the film, helping to define its visual and sonic identity, and enriching its spectacular dimension.

The Phantom of the Opera was produced by FullDawa and SND (which also handles its international sales), together with Umedia.