The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Don't bury me...I'm not dead!

+913

-102

Please wait...

Thanks for your vote!

Please wait...

Thanks for your vote!

Release Date: Feb 05, 1988
Rated: R | Runtime: 98 Mins | Language: English
Director: Wes Craven
Stars: Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield, Brent Jennings, Conrad Roberts, Badja Djola

Summary

A Harvard anthropologist is sent to Haiti to retrieve a strange powder that is said to have the power to bring human beings back from the dead. In his quest to find the miracle drug, the cynical scientist enters the rarely seen netherworld of walking zombies, blood rites and ancient curses. Based on the true life experiences of Wade Davis and filmed on location in Haiti, it's a frightening excursion into black magic and the supernatural.

Report missing or broken trailer

Tv Trailer

What to Expect

The Serpent and the Rainbow is a Wes Craven cult classic about a scientist sent to Haiti by a pharmaceutical company in search of a potion that is rumored to be able to bring the dead back to life. There's big money in preventing death so no expense was spared. Only problem is the guy unfortunately found what he was looking for and let's just say things didn't turn out so good for him. He gets cheated, drugged, threatened and even buried alive. Watching Serpent and the Rainbow is like stumbling through a psychedelic hallucinogenic fever nightmare. There's so many unexpected and creatively disturbing scenes, my favorite being the one with the dead snake bride. It's a definite must see for every fan of 80's supernatural horror.

Genres
Subgenres
Style
People

Featured on:
Top 10 Best Religious Horror Movies

Movie Review: The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) ReviewStreaming News: Horror Movies Coming to Shudder APRIL 2022

Critic Reviews:

I love a plucky underdog, and “The Serpent and the Rainbow” is just that. If you’ve never seen it, what the hell are you waiting for?

– HNN

The film is well-done, with excellent acting and Craven’s signature style of attention to detail that ensures that every moment of the film is truly worth the viewer’s while.

– ScienceFiction.com

Not a lot in The Serpent and the Rainbow always makes sense but then Wes Craven films often operate on a dream logic of surprise shocks more so than they ever do rational linear explanations.

– Moria