Deathdream is a 1974 horror film directed by Bob Clarke (who also made Black Christmas (1974) one of my favorite slasher movies of all time), who manages to provide enough thrills and vital social commentary on America’s involvement in the Vietnam War in just under 88 minutes.
The film begins in 1972 in Vietnam, with an American soldier named Andy Brooks (Richard Backus) getting shot and falling to the ground. Before he dies, he hears his mother’s prayers, telling him to return home as promised. The movie then switches to the Brooks family in Florida, which consists of Andy’s father, Charles (John Marley), his mother, Christine (Lynn Carlin), and his sister, Cathy (Anya Ormsby). One night, Andy unexpectedly returns home, and the family is overjoyed. They gather around Andy and tell him that the military has informed them that he died, to which Andy responds with a straight face, “I Did,” and the entire family bursts out laughing as the camera zooms away. The laugh made me uncomfortable, and the zooming away gave me chills, as if the director were attempting to warn us of an approaching calamity.
The family notices a shift in Andy’s behavior after he returns from the war. He doesn’t talk to anyone, refuses to eat, and sits alone, staring into the abyss. When asked a question, he barely responds with a few words. This aloof behavior grates on Charles’ nerves, resulting in constant fights with his wife, who passionately defends Andy every time. These domestic fights and the mystery surrounding Andy’s true identity overstay their welcome as the narrative deteriorates in the second act. As a result, Christine’s constant defense of him comes off to be a bit off-putting.
Things get out of hand for the Brooks family by the time the film solves the mystery of who Andy is. They are on the verge of collapsing, and there is an immediate danger around them. The film’s third act is brilliantly executed, with Bob Clarke raising the stakes, guaranteeing, and delivering a nail-biting finish. Several scenes demonstrate Clarke’s directorial prowess, including the one in the Doctor’s clinic after he discovers something revealing about Andy or a disturbing scene in which Andy strangles the Brooks family dog in front of the neighborhood children who have come to meet him since his return from the war. These sequences are expertly shot and effectively heighten the tension and horror around Andy.
The film also serves as an allegory for war, notably the Vietnam War, depicting how troops who return home from combat are changed forever by their traumatic experiences. Bob Clarke shows Charles, who participated in WW2 and came out okay, whereas Andy, in contrast, is a Vietnam War vet who did not. The makers’ primary focus is on the Vietnam War here, demonstrating how mentally devastating it was for American soldiers compared to WW2, primarily because they were constantly questioning their involvement and were perplexed as to why they should risk their lives in a war that was never theirs to begin with.
When Richard Backus auditioned for the role of Andy, the Casting Director was so horrified by his stare that Richard eventually got the part. He gives an outstanding performance as Andy, and his fake smile, and intense loathing glare will linger with me for a few days. The makeup effects for this film were done by the famous makeup artist Tom Savini in his debut feature, who has since been known for his work in films like Dawn of the Dead (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), Creepshow (1982), The Black Phone (2022), and many others.
Deathdream, based on W.W. Jacob’s short story The Monkey Paw, is a low-budget horror film worth checking out for its portrayal of the ill effects of a useless war on ordinary people.
Deathdream movie links: IMDB, Wikipedia
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