From Beyond (1986)

Film review #656

Director: Stuart Gordon

SYNOPSIS: Two scientists have developed a machine that allows access to a new dimension of reality beyond normal perceptions. testing it on himself, Dr. Edward Pretorius is exposed to a world beyond imagination, and becomes addicted to the experience. When the machine explodes and Pretorius seemingly dies, his assistant, Crawford Tillinghast, is arrested for murder. Seeking an answer to what truly happened, psychologist Dr. Katherine McMichaels returns to the scene to see whether Tillinghast’s wild claims are true…

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: From Beyond is a 1986 horror film based on H.P. Lovecraft’s story of the same name. two scientists invent a machine called the resonator that provides access to a dimension beyond human perception, when one of them is driven mad by the pleasures and sensations he experiences from beyond, the machine explodes and Pretorius is seemingly killed, his assistant, Crawford Tillinghast is arrested and committed to a psychiatric ward. Psychologist Dr. Katherine McMichaels attempts to get to the bottom of what happened, and whether Crawford is telling the truth about the events, by returning to the laboratory with him and recreating the experiments. What follows is a bit of a threadbare story, as the characters fumble about with the machine a bit and try to understand what it does. The real focus of this film is the body horror, and the gruesome special effects that increase in intensity and complexity as the film progresses. Make no mistake, this film is just an indulgence in sex, special effects, and the slimiest, twisted body horror that could be gotten away with. It’s weird, it’s over-the-top, and it’s exactly what it needs to be.

Lovecraft’s stories are notoriously difficult to adapt, owing to a rich lore and otherworldliness that is tough to bring to the screen. From Beyond takes a very non-pretentious approach and, as mentioned, focuses on body horror to showcase a realm beyond human experience. There’s definitely great effort gone into getting the practical effects looking as gross and as visceral as possible. Sure, it still looks like a low-budget film, but the aesthetic is still arresting, and shots never linger long enough for you to nitpick the details, which is smart. Honestly, for what it is, I think this is a pretty good film for cheap shlock: it doesn’t try to be something it isn’t, and still manages to pull off something memorable and creepy. Honestly worth a look if you’re into these types of films, but not much depth or content for a wider audience to grasp onto.