Watch Dead Again

Dead Again is a 1991 mystery-thriller film directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Emma Thompson and Andy Garcia. The film is set in Los Angeles and follows the story of Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh), a private investigator who is hired by an amnesiac woman named Grace (Emma Thompson), who is haunted by nightmares of a murder that occurred in the 1940s.

The film is set in two different time periods - the 1940s and the present day (1991) - and tells the story of two couples. The first couple is Margaret Strauss (Emma Thompson) and Roman Strauss (Kenneth Branagh), who live in the 1940s. Margaret is a famous pianist who becomes involved with Roman, a writer who has a dark past. The second couple is Mike Church and Grace. As Mike investigates Grace's past, he discovers that it is connected to the murder that occurred in the 1940s.

The plot of Dead Again is complex and multi-layered, full of twists and turns that keep the audience guessing until the very end. The film is a tribute to classic film noir and Hitchcockian thrillers, with its shadowy visuals and plunging camera angles. The black-and-white sequences, set in the 1940s, have a moody, atmospheric quality that contrasts with the bright, colorful present-day scenes.

The performances in Dead Again are excellent, with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson both delivering strong performances as the two couples. Branagh, in particular, is impressive in his dual role as Roman and Mike, managing to make the two characters distinct from one another. Andy Garcia also shines as Gray Baker, a reporter who becomes involved in the investigation.

One of the most notable aspects of Dead Again is its score, which was composed by Patrick Doyle. The score incorporates elements of classical music, particularly Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which features prominently in the film. The use of such a recognizable piece of music adds an extra layer of resonance to the film, tying together the themes of love, tragedy, and redemption.

In addition to its technical and artistic achievements, Dead Again is a film that explores some deep philosophical questions about human nature, memory, and identity. The film's themes are weighty and thought-provoking, yet the film is also entertaining and engaging.

Overall, Dead Again is a well-crafted and gripping film that showcases Kenneth Branagh's talent as both a director and an actor. The film is a homage to classic film noir, but it also stands on its own as a unique and compelling work of art. If you enjoy mystery-thrillers with complex plots and strong performances, Dead Again is definitely worth checking out.

Dead Again is a 1991 thriller with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 66.