Nightbreed

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Nightbreed

R

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1h 42m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

60%

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10,000+ Ratings

Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) is haunted by terrifying nightmares of a city of monsters. He goes to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Decker (David Cronenberg), for help. But what Boone doesn't know is that Decker is really a serial killer. Decker frames Boone to take the fall for his murders, and Boone is killed by the police. But Boone is brought back to life by the monsters of his dreams, the Nightbreed, who in turn join Boone in his quest to stop Decker from killing again.

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Critics Consensus

Nightbreed's imaginative world-building and startling creature designs are no match for its clumsy, uneven plotting.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

08/07/2023

In the end, the monsters emerge as the good guys defending their right to life, capping the film on an oddly sweet note that makes it one of Clive Barker’s most endearing works.

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William Thomas

Empire Magazine

11/13/2017

3/5

Decent horror thriller which gets more renowned with age.

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Noel Murray

The Dissolve

10/27/2014

3.5/5

At its best, Nightbreed is like a living version of a coffee-table book, with each page filled with tentacled, quilled, or moon-faced monsters.

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David Reddish

CBR

06/17/2025

2/4

Nightbreed suffers from too much ineptitude to laud, and shows off too much creativity to fully dismiss.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

08/10/2023

3/4

The Director's Cut is vastly superior to the theatrical version, expanding on the secretive realm of Midian and the monsters who reside in this underground lair.

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

08/05/2023

3/4

Visionary and weird, though uneven at times, this is classic Clive Barker finding a place in his heart for the misfits.

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Dallas H

@FozzieMcFly Aug 11

It's movies like Nightbreed that remind me how great horror filmmaking can be when the production team works hard to create its own world of scary-looking characters and then brings it all to life with physical makeup design, costumes, practical sets, and a tiny dab of matte paintings for background effects. It makes the production team create as much of the on-screen material with actual physical creations that feel more tangible and organic to watch than a computer-generated image.

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Thomas V

@Dontcallmedude Jan 15

A cult classic! If you enjoyed horror movies like In the mouth of madness, and Lord of illusions you won't be disappointed in this gem from the great Clive Barker.

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Jason H

@RT50328122 Sep 29

While it isn't a great movie, the Director's Cut is a good one - and much better than the theatrical version.

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Tyler B

@MitchellsChin 07/16/2025

I’d rather watch Lost Boys.

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Alec B

@Alec97 01/09/2024

There's a lot going on, maybe too much for one movie. That being said it's hard not to admire the pure unadulterated vision of Barker here and I like that the movie isn't coy about its message or who the real villains are.

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Keiron D

@Kei91 12/04/2023

My absolute favourite monster horror! The first horror I watched as a young kid, I love the mind of Clive Barker. The music by Danny Elfman is really great! Perfect! Dr. Deckers mask still freaks me out!

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Nightbreed: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) is haunted by terrifying nightmares of a city of monsters. He goes to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Decker (David Cronenberg), for help. But what Boone doesn't know is that Decker is really a serial killer. Decker frames Boone to take the fall for his murders, and Boone is killed by the police. But Boone is brought back to life by the monsters of his dreams, the Nightbreed, who in turn join Boone in his quest to stop Decker from killing again.

Director: Clive Barker
Producer: Gabriella Martinelli, Joe Roth
Screenwriter: Clive Barker
Production Co: Seraphim Films, Morgan Creek Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.9M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

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