The Beyond
dir. Lucio Fulci · 1981
Feature
Psychological Horror
Mood
Dark / Tense
Look
vivid, gory visuals with a dreamlike quality
Structure
fragmented and nonlinear, with a focus on atmosphere over plot coherence
Plot
The cellar of an old hotel is built on top of the door to the beyond. Bloody zombies roam there. A young woman who is heir of the hotel wants to restaurate it. She is confronted with strange events. A painter has a lethal fall, the plumber vanishes and her friend breaks his neck. When she escapes to the hospital of a friendly doctor she doesn't know what a nightmare is waiting there...
Why watch
"The Beyond" is a visceral journey into the depths of horror, where the boundaries of reality blur and the grotesque reigns supreme. With its haunting visuals and relentless tension, this film invites viewers to confront their deepest fears and the unknown lurking just beyond the veil.
Cultural context
Italian horror renaissance of the 1980sthe rise of giallo as a genreexploration of death and the afterlife in cinemasocietal fears of the supernatural