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The Serpent and the Rainbow

The Serpent and the Rainbow

Horror · Thriller · 1988

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.

Movie details

The Serpent and the Rainbow

“Don't Bury Me...I'm Not Dead!”

1988 Horror · Thriller 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Serpent and the Rainbow?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Wes Craven

Written by

Adam Rodman · Richard Maxwell

Bill Pullman

Bill Pullman

Dennis Alan

Cathy Tyson

Cathy Tyson

Marielle Duchamp

Zakes Mokae

Zakes Mokae

Dargent Peytraud

Paul Winfield

Paul Winfield

Lucien Celine

Brent Jennings

Brent Jennings

Louis Mozart

Conrad Roberts

Conrad Roberts

Christophe

Badja Djola

Badja Djola

Gaston

Court is in session

Put The Serpent and the Rainbow on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Cool Ironist

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Sentimental Softie

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.