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The Brood (1979)

R  |   |  Horror, Sci-Fi  |  25 May 1979 (USA)
6.9
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Ratings: 6.9/10 from 16,388 users  
Reviews: 117 user | 131 critic

A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, while a series of brutal attacks committed by a brood of mutant children coincides with the husband's investigation.

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Title: The Brood (1979)

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Henry Beckman ...
Barton Kelly
Nuala Fitzgerald ...
Juliana Kelly
...
...
Ruth Mayer
Gary McKeehan ...
Mike Trellan
Michael Magee ...
Inspector
Robert A. Silverman ...
Jan Hartog (as Robert Silverman)
Joseph Shaw ...
Coroner
Larry Solway ...
Lawyer
Reiner Schwarz ...
Dr. Birkin
...
Creature
John Ferguson ...
Creature
Edit

Storyline

A man's wife is under the care of an eccentric and unconventional psychologist who uses innovative and theatrical techniques to breach the psychological blocks in his patients. When their daughter comes back from a visit with her mother and is covered with bruises and welts, the father attempts to bar his wife from seeing the daughter but faces resistance from the secretive psychologist. Meanwhile, the wife's mother and father are attacked by strangely deformed children, and the man begins to suspect a connection with the psychologist's methods. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

They're Waiting... For You! See more »

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 May 1979 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

A Ninhada  »

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 1,400,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Samantha Eggar only worked for four days on this film. See more »

Goofs

Just after the first murder, the deformed/mutant child who committed it leaves very large, bloody handprints on the stair railing just near the dead body. These handprints are never mentioned again, in particular by the police, who insist later that they were "never looking for anything that small." It would have been impossible to miss these handprints at the crime scene, and such child-sized handprints would have certainly tipped off the police in a different direction upon discovery. See more »

Quotes

Dr. Hal Raglan: The law believes in motherhood.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Creepy, cold and clinical classic from David Cronenberg
24 September 2004 | by (Sacramento, CA) – See all my reviews

The Brood (1979) was a film made by the master of psychobabble clinical horror David Cronenberg. He's the master of this genre, one that he created during the 70's. A genre that's in a class all by itself. The Brood is another one of his cinematic works that delivers the goods. He creates a thinking man's scare film. Like most of his other works, Cronenberg uses psychosis and the medical community to base a terror that only man can create.

Art Hindle stars as a man who's wife (Samantha Egger) is having a multitude of emotional problems. Whilst under the care of a mad genius psychiatrist (Brilliantly portrayed by Oliver Reed who shows a lot of restraint) using a radical form of therapy for his patients. Like all mad geniuses, not everything goes according to plan (or does it). The doctor creates something in his star patient that he ultimately regrets. It has to be seen to be believed!

One weird film. I enjoyed this one very much. What I like about Cronenberg is that he rarely creates truly good or bad characters (well the films that he has completely control over). Everyone has a motive no matter if it's right or wrong. That's what I like about him, he makes you think!

The film was restored a couple of years ago on D.V.D. It's the original uncut version and it is even creepier than the U.S. theatrical release. Check it out!

good stuff...

Highly recommended, but not for everyone.


17 of 23 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Peter Dinklage shredhead1983
Very stupid script Watson_0213
wild birth scenes westing000
the warts blairandrade-1
Some of the acting sucked, but some of the acting was SUPERB! clearbluepeace
something wrong about the film! did u notice? theturcho
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