The Brood

Perhaps David Cronenberg's most personal film. In it, he vents the horrors of divorce, psychoanalysis and separation from children; all that with the body horror concept of it. With everything and his ups and downs, it is a curiosity to be exploited.

Finally dipped into Cronenberg's early work and: Fascinating stuff! The Brood is a mix of social drama—more specifically, divorce drama—and body horror. The often graphic images and themes are further intensified by the strong focus on the child’s perspective. For me, The Brood can be viewed in two ways: First, as a sci-fi horror film with body horror elements, where mutant children hunt humans and kidnap other children. And second, as a raw reflection of a family crisis: We see signs of abuse on the daughter's back, alleged affairs, conversations with lawyers, and a once-loving couple locked in battle, with a bloody newborn between them. Cronenberg also hints that family trauma, domestic violence, and perhaps mental illness(?) are passed down through generations. As for how exactly Oliver Reed’s therapy works, I can't say. But it's definitely fun to watch him in action.