David Cronenberg is a director who I name drop a hell of a lot for a director whose work I know very little of. Today’s film, ‘The Brood’ (1979), is only the second film of his I have seen and yet the amount of time I will describe a film as ‘Cronenberg’ like is quite ridiculous. But that says all you need to know about his films. His form of body horror is almost legendary at this point, and it films like today’s that have helped him to build that reputation. But to say that his films are just gross out, body horror films also does not give him nearly enough credit, and hopefully I will show you why during the course of this review. The film follows the Carveth family. The mother of the family, Nola (Samantha Egger), is a patient at a nearby institution that is run by an unconventional therapist. The therapist, Dr. Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed), has developed a treatment in which patients are able to manifest their emotions into legions and growths on their body. Nola, however, has pushed this newfound treatment to its limit, and this leads to severe and murderous consequences.
First thing I want to say about the film is that I love how it looks. And I can’t even really describe why, but there is just something that seems off in how the film looks. It is mostly in the design of the buildings which have a German expressionistic feel about them. I have no idea if this was a design choice by the filmmakers or if it is just me, but either way I really liked it. I also really like the whole look of the film from a fashion side of things. Anyone who knows me will probably laugh up a lung hearing that because I am hardly Mr. Fashion, but they will also know that what fashion sense I do have comes in the form of jackets, and boy is this film filled with great jackets. This adds nothing to the quality of the film I hear you cry, but I disagree because it helps add to the look of the film which I really loved. I also want to give a shout out the score by Howard Shore. It isn’t a particularly memorable score, if you asked me to hum it I wouldn’t be able to. But it is a really effective horror score that adds so much to the whole atmosphere of the film and I would be amiss not to mention it. The performances are also all very solid in the film, but the standout one for me comes from Oliver Reed as Hal Ragan. He manages to put in a quite nuanced performance where you can never really get a grasp on his all-round character. He has a real slimy and mysterious side to him, but at the same time you completely buy into him and want to trust him. It is a great performance and a true stand out in the film.
In terms of the horror that this film portrays, it is not one that is going to terrify you during the running time, but the imagery it evokes will stick with you. That is what Cronenberg does, he shows you these horrific images you would never have thought of yourself and makes it feel real, and that is where the horror comes from. There are a couple of scenes in this film that feel a bit silly when they shouldn’t. They are not comical and they don’t take away from the quality of the film (at least for me although I can see this not being the case for everyone) but they look and feel a little silly in comparison to the whole vibe of the rest of the film. But there is also one scene in this film which will stick with me forever. It is a moment of body horror that still holds up over 30 years later and I cannot get it out of my head even now. My emotional reaction to the scene was a mixture of disgust, horror, and laughter but in that sense where you’re laughing because you’re nervous. It isn’t a particularly scary scene, but it is so grim that I couldn’t help but laugh. And this is the kind of thing a lot of people think of when they think of David Cronenberg, but this film also has more to it than that. It is a film that explores themes of divorce and the effects this has on children of divorce in a way that is both subtle and clear at the same time. This give the film so much more to offer than a standard body horror film and also gives it extra heart and emotional depth. But yeah, it remains pretty grim.
‘The Brood’ is a film I had been wanting to watch for a long time and I was not disappointed. I don’t think it is a film for everyone. It is not a full of scares style horror film and I think that will turn some people off. But it is a very interesting film with genuinely horrific moments in it. That one scene in particular is horrendously grim in the best kind of way. The film also builds up a great atmosphere through its look, score, and performances and I really, really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for something a bit different to watch this October, I’d definitely recommend it. And if you like this then watch ‘The Fly’ (1986) for another does of grim body horror.