Watch The Brood

The Brood is a 1979 horror film directed by David Cronenberg, known for his body horror films that explore the intersection between technology, psychology and biology. The film stars Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle, and tells the story of a psychologist who uncovers a sinister plot involving experimental psychiatric techniques and disturbingly physiological manifestations of repressed trauma.

The film begins with Dr. Hal Raglan (played by Oliver Reed) at the Somafree Institute, where he has developed a new therapy technique called "psychoplasmics." The technique encourages the patient to physically manifest their psychological distress, allowing them to express and ultimately release their repressed emotions. One of Raglan's patients is Nola Carveth (played by Samantha Eggar), a disturbed woman going through a bitter custody battle with her estranged husband Frank (played by Art Hindle) over their daughter, Candace.

As the therapy sessions progress, Nola starts to exhibit strange physical manifestations, including growths on her skin that eventually give birth to grotesque, mutated beings known as "the brood." Meanwhile, people connected to Nola, including her ex-husband and his mother, begin to suffer violent attacks from the brood.

As the body count rises, the film takes on an increasingly grotesque and surreal tone, highlighting Cronenberg's signature blend of psychological horror and body horror. The brood themselves are repulsive and disturbing, suggesting a connection between Nola's maternal instincts and her repressed trauma.

Oliver Reed's portrayal of Dr. Raglan is one of the film's highlights, as he manages to walk a thin line of being both a charismatic and manipulative guru-like figure while also being a deeply flawed human being. Reed's performance in The Brood is one of his most memorable, and the actor was known to have praised Cronenberg's direction and the overall concept of psychoplasmics.

Samantha Eggar also delivers a strong and nuanced performance as Nola Carveth. Her character is both sympathetic and deeply troubled, and Eggar manages to convey Nola's emotional pain and subsequent transformation into a terrifying entity with skillful subtlety.

The film's themes explore the intersection of psychology and biology in ways that are both thought-provoking and viscerally disturbing. The idea that repressed emotions can manifest themselves as physical deformities is an interesting one that Cronenberg explores to its fullest potential. The film also touches on themes of motherhood and femininity, further complicating the film's portrayal of the monstrous brood.

While The Brood is not for the faint of heart, it is a must-see for fans of David Cronenberg's oeuvre and fans of horror. The film's unsettling and surreal atmosphere, combined with strong performances from its leads, make for an unforgettable viewing experience. The Brood is not just a horror movie - it's a meditation on the darker aspects of the human psyche, and a warning against the dangers of unchecked psychological experimentation.

The Brood is a 1979 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 63.