Review: Unleashing Horror with "From Beyond" (1986)

Tyler Crosby
May 26, 2024
2 min read

Updated: May 29, 2024

From Beyond is a 1986 science-fiction body horror film directed by Stuart Gordon, loosely based on the short story of the same name by H. P. Lovecraft. It was written by Dennis Paoli, Gordon and Brian Yuzna, and stars Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree and Ted Sorel.

From Beyond centers on a pair of scientists attempting to stimulate the pineal gland with a device called the Resonator, with the unforeseen result of their perceiving creatures from another dimension. The creatures drag the head scientist into their world, returning him as a grotesque shape-shifting monster that preys upon the others at the laboratory. It’s a co-production between the United States and Italy. (From Wikipedia)

My Thoughts:

This movie is fun in a "WTF" is going on kind of way. Snake like brain stems coming out of foreheads, inter-dimensional flesh eating flies, grotesque transformations and good ol 80's cheese. The Practical SFX will rival the famous 1982's The Thing (John Carpenter) or 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Wes Craven).

However, I will say that this movie leans more in the direction of Dream Warriors rather than The Thing. Reason being, The Thing has a plot that was terrifying. The potential for paranoia, nightmares and developing a phobia for doppelgangers only reinforces the masterful SFX.

From Beyond however, leans more on the fun use of SFX rather than a bleak and punctuating plot. The premise of a science experiment gone wrong separates you from immersing yourself into (the possibility of) death and despair. With that, I will say that this movie is just fun. Not scary, not nightmare fuel, just classic 80's gore and lunacy.

Would Watch Again? Yes I would for background noise or needing a Lovecraft fix.
Would Recommend? Any Lovecraft fan needs to watch this at least once (along with the 1985 horror film Re-Animator)
Watch With Kids? 13 and up minimum for today's standards. There is nudity and sexual content along with the goo and gore.
Favorite Moment? Removing his face...