A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
Where to Watch Braindead
- Fire Lansky4d agoGore cinema peaked with this movie. It’s probably safe to say that there will never be a film made like this again. The sheer amount of fake blood and latex is astounding. That Peter Jackson went on to heavily develop the use of computer graphics in film is fitting, because Dead Alive comes across like a film maker trying to kill off the old ways of doing business before he moves onto something better. It’s also worth mentioning that all of the lines in the film have become classic quotes 30 years later. Every single one is a banger.
- RazorbitzFebruary 22, 2025Without any exaggeration this film changed how I looked at the world. It is to cinema's greatest benefit that Peter Jackson got his start making crass art like this, but it saddens me so that horror auteurs like him and Raimi have moved so far away from their origins in the glorious splatter of practical effects. I very much enjoy Evil Dead as much as any horror buff but this incredible work of gibbering madness curled its gonzo fingers around my throat and never let go. Where do I even begin describing this film? New Zealand avant-garde? Peter Jackson unpacking his mommy issues? Return of the Living Dead smoking PCP? Too heinous and bizarre to have any modern imitators, yet without it we wouldn't have Lord of the Rings. What a life! Not a movie I'd watch while eating dinner but a must see film nevertheless!
- stuhannafordNovember 17, 2025One of those films that I think you look back fondly on, if you grabbed hold of a rogue copy back in the 90’s. A modern audience? It’s a struggle to say ‘horror’ and the comedy, although it has some notably quotable one liners, is way past the realms of silly. Long stretches of brilliant visual effects without the reliance on CGI… but a tough watch of what feels like the same over and over and over again. It descends into ridiculousness fairly fast and got pretty boring, pretty fast. Stars for the effects alone, the rest, well… you’re not missing much.
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Braindead was released on August 13, 1992.
Braindead was directed by Peter Jackson.
Braindead has a runtime of 1h 43m.
Braindead was produced by Jim Booth.
A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
The key characters in Braindead are Lionel (Timothy Balme), Paquita (Diana Peñalver), Mum (Elizabeth Moody).
Braindead is rated R.
Braindead is a Horror, Comedy, Fantasy film.
Braindead has an audience rating of 8.7 out of 10.
Braindead had a budget of $3M.
Braindead has made $243K at the box office.