Retrospective Film Review

The Brood (1979) • 45 Years Later — the disturbing origins of body horror

A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist’s therapy techniques on his institutionalised wife, amidst a series of brutal murders.

Two men sit on stage: the troubled, disturbed Mike (Gary McKeehan) and Dr Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed). They’re engaged in roleplay as an audience watches. Raglan is acting as Mike’s abusive father, hoping to help Mike overcome the debilitating traumas he experienced as a child. Psychoplasmics, an innovative new form of therapy, offers Mike a chance to confront his past. “Show me your anger!” Dr Raglan commands. Mike obeys, removing his shirt to reveal a body marked by sores, lesions, and infected skin.

It’s a classic David Cronenberg opening. The Brood remains a chilling exploration of divorce, trauma, parenthood, mental illness, and repressed desires, 45 years after its initial release. Our story follows an audience member at the demonstration, a man named Frank Carveth (Art Hindle). His wife Nola (Samantha Eggar) is a patient of Dr…