The Horror Movie That Surprisingly Has You Root For The Monsters
Countless movies have been released within the horror genre, which was meant to torment and invoke a sense of primal fear in viewers well after the ending credits. Unfortunately, not all horror films quite succeed in that way, but some had good intentions, such as Clive Barker's 1990 movie Nightbreed. This flick had all of the makings of a memorable and instant-classic horror movie, including some freaky monsters. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the cast and crew, it ended up as a bit of a flop at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). Nonetheless, it's a piece of horror history with a unique twist: The monsters are the true victims in the storyline. It's been three decades since Nightbreed was introduced into the world, and, finally, The SyFy channel is adapting the film into a series straight from the Clive Barker handbook.
While fans are anxiously waiting for the new series to emerge, let's first revisit the movie, which has gained a steady cult following since its original release.
The monsters aren't who viewers think in this horror movie
Nightbreed sheds a different light on the true protagonists and antagonists of certain horror movie scenarios, flipping the script on what viewers are used to seeing. Monsters are often looked upon as vicious and sinister but, in reality, sometimes the "real" monsters are human beings.
Fans can relate to and empathize with the underground monsters in Nightbreed because Barker provides them with backstories and values. The monsters living in the city of Midian have jobs, their own families, and above all, a moralistic code to live a fulfilling life. Barker's underlying message is that everyone should be open to acceptance and understanding and that no one should be the same. This is an incredibly smart approach to the narrative of the movie. While viewers think the "human" cast should be the good guys, the film demonstrates that they're not all that heroic after all. It'll be interesting to see how Nightbreed is recast and revised to fit a modern world, but it hopefully retains parts of the original storyline.