From Beyond
Director: Stuart Gordon
Writer: Dennis Paoli
Based on: H.P. Lovecraft‘s short story
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
Seen on: 13.12.2025

Content Note: sexualized violence, dubious consent

Plot:
Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs) is working for Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel). They are developing a machine, the Resonator, that is supposed to further human perception. When they finally get it to work, Pretorius is overjoyed, but then the creatures from another dimension that they are suddenly able to perceive decapitate Pretorius and Crawford is arrested for the murder. He is brought to a psychiatric facility where Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) is supposed to determine how insane he really is. She starts to take an interest in Pretorius’ research and brings Crawford back to the Resonator, accompanied by police officer Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree). But there, things start to become weirder and weirder.

From Beyond is a horror classic, and the special effects are still pretty amazing. The story itself didn’t work that well for me, but it is impressive in its Freudian purity, I have to say.

I never read anything by H.P. Lovecraft, and the more I learned about him, the less willing I am to spend time with the mind and imagination of the guy. So, when I say that as the story progresses, I kept thinking “of course this is a Lovecraft adaptation”, it is a reflection of second hand knowledge. But I do feel that it is a warranted comment nevertheless, starting with the psychiatrist who could come straight from a porn set to the pretty sudden but seemingly inevitable appearance of kink and fetish in the story. The intertwining of sex and horror, in any case, seems pretty on brand for Lovecraft. Freud would have loved the film I am sure. It is rare that we get such a clear proof of concept for his theories as in this film.

Anyway, back to the film itself. While the story – including the pretty dismal treatment of Katherine – didn’t really work for me and had me rolling my eyes more often than not, I can say that the special effects are still pretty amazing, even 40 years later. Good practical effects are still unmatched by most CGI, and even though they aren’t perfect, there is still a level of artistry at display here that is very impressive. Also, there is so much slime, I am glad that I am not particularly sensitive to that texture because I felt like the entire movie was dripping.

There is also something to be said for being weirded out so effectively as this film manages. Even when I didn’t like what I was seeing (and had to shake my head at the most unlikely dog behavior I have ever seen in a movie), it was always interesting in its weirdness and the film never gets boring. I also felt that despite all the male gaze and sexism lobbed at Katherine, she was a pretty interesting character – much more interesting than I would have expected. And there were moments of actually interesting discussion of psychiatric practices which was a bit of a surprise.

Despite all its flaws, the film has enough strengths to still make it worth seeing, that is for sure. But I wouldn’t say that it will become one of my favorites anytime soon.

Summarizing: flawed but interesting.