I believe if there is something that we can all agree on to a certain extent, it would be that the prospect of death isn’t the most exciting or comforting concept for many of us. This is a subject that Herbert West has been actively pursuing, suffering the obstacle of being expelled from medical school for his wives – and which also serves as the basis for Re-Animator, in which West is brought from the world of the 1920s as written by esteemed horror legend H.P. Lovecraft, to the present day, where director Stuart Gordon makes one of the most maniacal but charming dark comedies of the 1980s. Re-Animator is a legendary film for a reason – very few horror projects manage to be as simultaneously warm and terrifying at the exact same time, often struggling to define themselves along the lines of coherent narrative categories, and therefore becoming some of a jumble of eccentric ideas as this one. Gordon, an underpraised maestro of horror and science fiction (as well as a few other genres) was exceptionally gifted, this film in particular often being considered his crowning achievement, the work that defines him the most as a filmmaker, giving him a place as something of a hero to those who align themselves with cult cinema – and for every moment that we doubt the merits of Re-Animator or try and look for meaning in what is essentially a very strange and bewildering piece of speculative fiction, we’re met with a dizzying array of unforgettable images and grotesque situations, which may be troubling for the faint of heart, but for those who can stomach the macabre sense of humour, you’re more than likely going to find something of sincere value in this bizarre but captivating film.

Starting a discussion on Re-Animator is certainly a peculiar challenge, since there aren’t many films this deeply committed to the simultaneous effort of both terrifying and entertaining audiences. Gordon was a director who often demonstrated a keep ability to work across genres, and he employs a multimodal structure to this film, jumping between comedy, horror and science fiction with the ease of someone who knows that he has easily mastered all three, and thus doesn’t need to be concerned with putting in too much work to convince us what we’re seeing on screen. Combined with his very grotesque sense of humour, and clear refusal to self-censor, to the point where the gore shown on screen stands as some of the most repulsive in the history of horror cinema. In many ways, Re-Animator is the kind of film that defines the genre without actually receiving the recognition – but considering it was produced in the same decade where filmmakers such as Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson were testing the waters of bad taste through merging macabre imagery with pitch-black humour, it’s unsurprising that this film is often relegated to a small but dedicated corner of supporters – but like any film with a cult following, Re-Animator emerges frequently as one that warrants yet another look, because what it lacks in coherency and a direct plot structure, it more than makes up for in sheer ambition, which is often one of the most important components of a great horror film, of which this is certainly one of the most sincere representatives. Its simplicity in narrative, combined with the filmmaker’s very clear passion for honouring Lovecraft’s story, while still bringing his themes to the present day, lead to a film that is a lot more complex than a cursory glance would have you believe.

Inarguably, Re-Animator requires some degree of suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer. After all, not too many films manage to be this bewildering at such a rapid, regular pace. In particular, it speaks to the point above – the film doesn’t have a very solid narrative structure, essentially working as a variety of expositionary scenes interspersed with extended moments of unhinged terror, long sequences filled to the brim with acidic humour and graphic violence, the likes of which are enough to make even the most desensitized viewers somewhat queasy – and this works to the film’s advantage quite frequently. What made 1980s horror so endearing is how uninhibited it was – there was a complete lack of overt calculation or clear caution with many of these films, the rise of independent cinema allowing every budding director with a camera and raw ambition to have their ideas realized, which made for some boundary-pushing, revolutionary works. Gordon had a strong career that saw him working in every conceivable medium, but as his directorial debut, Re-Animator is quite a daring choice, since it hinged so heavily on his ability to convince us to the merits of the story, without resorting to cliche while still somehow parodying a genre that had been dormant for years, proving what a staggering achievement this film actually is, since not only does it seek to horrify and entertain the audience in tandem, it also does so in a way that is artistically-resonant, if you look beyond the irreverent humour and overt gore. Calling Re-Animator entirely influential seems strange, but like many cult films, there is a reason it has a following, and it’s incredibly likely that, despite not being as widely appreciated as it should be, it inspired many young filmmakers to defy conventions and make films in their own way, which is one of the many reasons this film warrants celebration.

Looking outside of the film’s changing status over the last few decades, and instead focusing on its actual ideas, it’s easy to understand why Re-Animator struck such a chord, both at the time of its release and with new generations of viewers. It starts with the beloved concept of a mad scientist, a trope that is very common to science fiction and horror, for a reason: audience adore carefully-constructed images of madness, and very few characters define this better than Herbert West, one of the most endearing anti-heroes in film history. Like many similar characters, what makes Herbert so fascinating is that he’s an evil, maniacal man who genuinely believes he is a hero, which is one of the fundamental qualities for a good villain, and the film does well to frame him as someone who truly believes what he is doing is not only acceptable, but his moral duty. The science of Re-Animator may be questionable, but the general message is strong – this is a character who tries to do the ultimate service to the human race, namely to find a way to “cheat death” – it’s that his methods are not conventional, and thus he is portrayed as someone to be feared. Whether this comes from Jeffrey Comb’s spirited performance, or the fact that the film actively takes an interest in filtering this strong ideas through the character (who isn’t even the central focus of the story, but whose presence steals every scene he is in from the film’s de facto lead, Bruce Abbott), there’s a genuinely concerted effort being made to challenge conventions while still being an actively compelling piece of cinema, which proves what a well-rounded piece of chilling, comedic horror this film ended up being as a result of the subversive approach that seeks to evoke both thrills and laughter, while never being too flippant.

Re-Animator has never truly gone out of fashion, with new devotees coming to it through the years – whether the subject of a recommendation, or simply stumbling upon it by accident, there is a certain wonder that comes with discovering this film and witnessing the sheer madness that sprung from the gloriously demented mind of its creator. It’s a premise that could not ever be done justice by mere word-of-mouth, and truly needs to be experienced first-hand – how else can one ever hope to explain all the nuances that are contained within this film without the pivotal details that persist throughout the film? As a whole, Gordon made something quite special with Re-Animator, which is a daring and provocative horror with broad strokes of comedy, both of them proving that one can resort to excess as long as its contained – whether in the moments of unhinged terror or full-chested absurdity, this film manages to pay tribute to the darker recesses of the human condition, using some of the most delightfully gory scenarios to pull out some deep philosophical commentary. An existentialist masterpiece done through blood, guts and an abundance of sardonic humour, it is almost impossible to resist the charms of Re-Animator, a film built from the desire to tell a very human story through provoking the most visceral reaction in the viewer, who will be both inspired and revolted by this strange and disquieting dark comedy that constantly seems to fail to show any restraint, and is ultimately all the better for it.