From Beyond

From Beyond reunites several cast and crew members from Re-Animator, including the two leads (Barbara Crampton, Jeffrey Combs), the director, producer and writer, to adapt another HP Lovecraft story. Re-Animator is an interesting, if tonally inconsistent, movie that’s as memorable as it is messy. From Beyond has no interest in having another crack at Re-Animator’s awkward blend of horror and comedy. This is straight up horror, blending otherworldly Lovecraftian horror with Cronenberg-style body horror in a discomforting, effective movie. Equally effective is the trope flip that fuels the first hour of the movie, as Crampton and Combs flip roles from Re-Animator: Combs is the reluctant, frightened victim, and Crampton is the one who goes off the deep end with obsession over a science experiment. It’s a refreshing change of pace, and best of all, it feels genuine. It isn’t some forced statement, a phony “look how subversive we are!” posturing (looking at you, Black Christmas 2nd remake). It’s how the story unfolds, and it feels right. It’s too bad, then, that in the last half hour, the movie loses its momentum with a bunch of time spent at a hospital racking up a body count, and turning Crampton into a damsel. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel anywhere near as inspired as the rest of the movie. But it’s still a good watch, especially for the effects. The gross body transformations are phenomenal, monstrous and hellish and thoroughly Lovecraftian. The performances, too, are fun; Crampton slowly loses her mind, but not an over the top way. Combs is far more restrained than the other movie. And Ken Foree is fun as a no-shits-to-give cop trying to keep things on the rails. Overall, not a top tier classic, but worth the watch, and better than Re-Animator.