Gaston Leroux's celebrated Gothic tale of bloody revenge and unrequited love is given a stylish and bloody re-working by Dario Argento, the Italian maestro of horror and suspense. Abandoned as a baby and raised by the rats that dwell in the winding sewers beneath the bustling Paris streets, the shadowy figure of The Phantom (Julian Sands) stays hidden from view.

Taking the lives of those who threaten the peaceful existence of his adopted subterranean family, The Phantom haunts the Paris Opera House, leaving a bloody trail of bodies in the cavernous depths beneath the majestic building. However, when he glimpses a beautiful young woman (Asia Argento) who dreams of becoming a great opera singer, The Phantom is infatuated. Intent on luring her into his underground lair, he sets out to seduce her. But will his unusual existence and the legacy of brutal killings scare her away?