Silence, Snow, and Unhealed Wounds

Read Time:6 Minute, 55 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Brood Limited Edition 4K UHD & Blu-ray
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Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Year Released: 1979, Second Sight 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 32m
Director(s): David Cronenberg
Writer(s): David Cronenberg
Cast: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Henry Beckman, Nuala Fitzgerald, Cindy Hinds, Susan Hogan, Gary McKeehan, Michael Magee, Robert A. Silverman, Joseph Shaw
Where To Watch: available March 31, 2025; pre-order your copy here: www.secondsightfilms.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: Every once in a while, a horror film lands with a chill that lingers—not because of buckets of gore or jump scares but because it manages to tap into something raw and deeply personal. That’s what THE BROOD does. David Cronenberg crafts a story that takes a scalpel to emotion and examines what happens when trauma isn’t dealt with—it erupts. From the outside, this might look like your standard horror, but under the surface, it’s simmering with ideas, grief, and a slow-burning rage that never quite gets extinguished.

Instead of opening with a traditional hook, THE BROOD kicks off in a stage-like setting where psychological experimentation is treated as a performance. We’re introduced to Dr. Hal Raglan, whose alternative approach to therapy—something called psychoplasmic treatment—feels more like cultish manipulation than healing. This early sequence plants the seed for the unsettling tone that follows. The method may be bizarre, but it’s not meant to be ridiculous. In Cronenberg’s world, emotions manifest in the body, and this concept becomes more than just a metaphor—it’s the heartbeat of the entire story.

While the plot orbits some genuinely strange occurrences, the emotional center remains Frank Carveth. Art Hindle plays him as a man constantly on edge, trying to hold it together while watching his life unravel. He’s the reluctant lead in a personal thriller, investigating violent incidents linked to the people closest to him. There’s quiet desperation in how Hindle handles the role, grounding the more surreal elements of the movie in something we can understand: the fear of watching everything you care about spiral out of control. At the same time, you’re powerless to stop it.

Samantha Eggar delivers a performance that punches through the screen. Frank’s estranged wife, Nola, navigates the role with a controlled chaos that makes every scene she’s in uncomfortably absorbing. A ferocity to her work refuses to be ignored, whether she's expressing vulnerability or rage. What makes her so memorable isn’t just the performance—it’s the character’s journey. She’s not painted as a villain or a victim. She’s a person-shaped, warped even by years of emotional damage, now channeling her pain into something dangerously tangible.

This is where THE BROOD pushes boundaries in ways. The horror doesn’t come from a traditional monster or an outside threat—it comes from emotional instability and the way suppressed feelings can poison everything they touch. The monstrous entities in the film are more than just shock value—they’re an extension of trauma. They’re rage with limbs. The design might feel slightly off by today’s standards, but that only adds to its nostalgic quality. They’re raw and uncomfortable—like the feelings they represent.

Of course, none of this would land as effectively without Oliver Reed’s quietly domineering presence. As Dr. Raglan, Reed doesn’t need to raise his voice or perform theatrics. He exudes a subtle authority that makes the character both intriguing and threatening. Raglan isn’t your typical horror villain—he’s something scarier. He believes he’s helping. That conviction makes his actions all the more chilling. You don’t know whether to be fascinated by him or terrified of what he might unleash.

As engrossing as the film is, it’s not without its cracks. The final act shifts into more conventional territory, with exposition doing some heavy lifting that earlier scenes avoided. There’s a sense that the film’s most disturbing ideas lose a bit of steam as it tries to wrap things up. Some supporting characters are barely more than stepping stones; their lack of development makes certain emotional beats fall short. And while ambiguity can be a strength, it occasionally crosses into feeling unfinished.

The restraint Cronenberg shows keeps THE BROOD from falling into the trap of sensationalism. It could have gone bigger, louder, bloodier—but it doesn’t. Instead, it focuses on emotional realism. The horror doesn’t have to scream when it can whisper something more disturbing: What happens when a person’s pain is ignored for too long? When their suffering is dismissed or buried under platitudes and institutional language?

That’s the true horror. It’s not just about people being attacked—it’s about people unraveling. It’s about generational damage that doesn’t stop with words but spills into actions. The movie doesn’t offer clean resolutions or easy catharsis. It stares directly into the discomfort and asks you to do the same. There’s no sense of safety here, no comforting moral or redemptive arc—just the unsettling idea that some emotional wounds don’t just scar—they replicate.

Ultimately, THE BROOD lands somewhere between an introspective drama and a psychological shocker with claws. It’s an unnerving reminder of what can fester when communication fails, and trauma is left to rot beneath the surface. It might not be perfect, and at times, it leans into its metaphor a little too heavily, but it lingers. It gets under your skin and refuses to leave quietly—and that’s a rare achievement, no matter what era the movie came from. Although, if you’re not a fan of body horror, Cronenberg probably isn’t for you.

Special Features
A new 4K restoration approved by Director David Cronenberg
Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision
New audio commentary by Martyn Conterio and Kat Ellinger
Audio commentary by William Beard
Meet the Carveths: An Interview with Actors Art Hindle & Cindy Hinds by Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander
Producing the Brood: An Interview with Executive Producer Pierre David
The Look of Rage: An Interview with Cinematographer Mark Irwin
Scoring the Brood: An Interview with Composer Howard Shore
Character for Cronenberg: an interview with Actor Robert A Silverman
Anger Management: Cronenberg's Brood and the Shapes of Cinematic Rage – a video essay by Leigh Singer
Cronenberg – The Early Years: An Archival Interview with David Cronenberg

Limited Edition Contents
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Shenoi
120-page book with new essays by Jenn Adams, William Beard, Craig Ian Mann, Carolyn Mauricette, Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Amber T, Alexandra West, and Scott Wilson
6 collectors' art cards

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[photo courtesy of SECOND SIGHT FILMS]

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