The film's plot focuses on a young soprano (Marsillach) who becomes involved in a series of murders being committed inside an opera house by a masked assailant.

The film features music composed and performed by Brian Eno, Claudio Simonetti, and Bill Wyman.

Inspector Alan Santini questions the opera house staff about Stefano's murder and an attack on the production's ravens, three of which were found dead after the show.

Critic Patrick Taggart, writing for the Austin American-Statesman in 1990, interpreted the film as a metaphor for "the death of classical arts by a society consumed by pop culture and cheap, ephemeral pleasures.

"[5] Taggart cited that the use of heavy metal music in the film's violent murder sequences contrasted against the "grand and sweeping" scenes of operatic performance.

Argento's version would have included horrific overtones and gimmicks, such as devices in seats throughout the theatre that would release voltage during thunderstorm scenes.

[7] Further problems for Argento occurred when he and Daria Nicolodi were arrested for drug possession, after police had found hashish in their home.

Argento declared that the film would initially be shot at Teatro Carignano and star Giuliana De Sio, who was at the peak of her popularity in Italy following the release of Let's Hope It's a Girl.

Neither plans materialized, with the film being shot at Teatro Regio in Parma and the lead being cast by the Spanish actress Cristina Marsillach.

He then attempted to cast Mia Sara, the star of Legend (1985), but changed his mind when fashion designer Giorgio Armani suggested Marsillach.

Backed by the production company from Mario and Vittorio Cecchi Gori; the brothers had ties to Italy's national television network RAI, allowing them to organize a presale for the film that gave Argento a larger budget than he had usually worked with.

[15] Opera was released in Italy on 19 December 1987 by CDI Compagnia Distribuzione Internazionale,[1] the Italian division of the U.S.-based Orion Pictures.

[3] The film was initially going to be released in the United States through Orion Pictures in a truncated cut that eliminated almost thirty minutes of footage, including the ending in the Swiss Alps.

[17] Despite Orion's backing out of distribution, Opera did eventually receive limited releases in the United States, premiering at the New Community Cinema in Long Island, New York on 26 July 1990,[18] followed by small regional theatrical engagements in Helena, Montana on 10 August 1990,[19] in Austin, Texas on 31 August 1990,[5] and in Santa Fe, New Mexico on 18 September 1990.

[6] American critic Patrick Taggart of the Austin American-Statesman praised the film as "very smart" but noted that its sequences of graphic violence often overshadowed subplots and some character development.

[5] From retrospective reviews, Adrian Luther-Smith in his book Blood and Black Lace echoed the film as an "exceptional visual experience" and referred to it as a return to form for Argento after the release of Phenomena.

The website's consensus reads: "The Opera house location gives plenty to work with for director Dario Argento, who hits his decadently bloody high notes here.

"[30] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.