Nightbreed (1990)

Nightbreed (1990)

Dir. Clive Barker

Aaron Boone experiences recurring nightmares about a place that he's never been. It's a place called Midian. He's no proof that it even exists outside of his own unconscious state, but his desire to find it is very real, even though the monsters that live there could tear him apart.

The Midian story begins in dramatic fashion, not unlike an old Japanese horror-fantasy film at its peak but given a modern, colourful twist. It's misleading because that kind of feeling doesn't return once it wanes. Instead, it achieves a unique kind of believability for itself to exist in.

It was written for the screen by Barker, an adaptation of his own Cabal (1988) novel.

His direction is sometimes B-Movie and at other times genuinely impressive, but mostly it's comfortably functional. The overt signposting of small details stands out a lot on repeated viewings. The technique is often indicative of either a lack of confidence in the material or a lack of confidence in the viewer. I'm pointing it out because it's there and it has an impact on how we engage with the story, but, happily, it never gets too out of control and the truth is I adore the film, flaws and all.

If you strip away the fantastical elements, seeking a truth that seems impossible is something that many of us can relate to, albeit on a wholly lesser level of weird. The desire to 'get away from it all' is a symptom: escape the overfamiliar and see the reality more clearly.

Trace your own superstitions back to their source and you'll discover that some of them have a basis in an enduring lore. Far from being irrelevant, the ancient is still a part of us as a species but it's drowned out by the conveniences of modern living.

Barker's been criticized for parading the Nightbreed one after another like a freak show in the latter half of the film. I can understand the thinking behind that stance. However, I try to take a more optimistic view and see it in two different lights. Sure, the majority of the characters shown aren't integral to the plot, but it highlights in a short time the differing living conditions and the diversity in shape and size of those that gather together under one roof. Displaying them as they are is no less exploitative than a fashion industry event. I'd go so far as to say it's actually less exploitative for both subject and viewer because the Nightbreed's 'mask' is pulled aside.