Movie Review: The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

★★★★★

The way it breaks down the cultural and psychological layers made me realize how unique the movie really is.

Carla H.

Puerto Rico

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The Serpent and the Rainbow

1988

If you’re a horror fan, you’ve probably heard the name Wes Craven mentioned alongside films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. But tucked away in his filmography is a fascinating outlier The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). It’s not a slasher, it’s not a meta-horror comedy it’s a voodoo-infused psychological thriller that’s as unsettling as it is thought-provoking.

At BoxReview.com, we don’t just revisit horror classics; we dig into the ones that slipped under the radar, the ones that do something different. And The Serpent and the Rainbow is exactly that kind of movie. It’s not perfect, but it’s bold, atmospheric, and filled with ideas that most horror films wouldn’t dare touch.

The Setup: More Than a Zombie Movie

The film stars Bill Pullman as Dennis Alan, an anthropologist sent to Haiti to investigate rumors of a drug used in voodoo rituals to create “zombies.” Based loosely (very loosely) on Wade Davis’s nonfiction book of the same name, the movie blurs the lines between science, folklore, and the supernatural.

At first glance, it looks like another zombie story. But unlike Romero’s flesh-eaters or Fulci’s gorefests, these zombies come from Haitian folklore rooted in ritual, control, and psychological terror. That distinction makes the film unique, because it taps into real-world beliefs rather than purely invented mythology.

And honestly? That makes it scarier.

What Most Reviews Miss: Haiti as a Character

Here’s where a lot of reviews stop short. They’ll talk about voodoo, Bill Pullman’s wide-eyed performance, and the infamous burial-alive sequence but they don’t give enough credit to the film’s use of Haiti itself.

Craven shot much of the film on location, and you can feel it in every frame. The bustling marketplaces, shadowy alleyways, and vibrant cultural rituals give the movie an authenticity that soundstages simply can’t replicate. Haiti isn’t just a backdrop it’s a living, breathing character that reflects both the beauty and the unrest of the time (the country was under political turmoil during filming).

That real-world tension seeps into the story, making the horror feel less like fantasy and more like a nightmare that could actually happen.

Psychological Horror at Its Core

What I love about The Serpent and the Rainbow and what often gets overlooked is that it’s as much a psychological horror film as it is a supernatural one. Dennis Alan is constantly caught between what can be explained by science and what defies it.

The film toys with perception: are the terrifying visions Dennis experiences the result of drugs, trauma, or real supernatural forces? That ambiguity keeps you unsettled long after the credits roll. Craven understood that the scariest things aren’t the monsters jumping out of closets it’s the things that leave you questioning your own reality.

The Villain Who Steals the Show

Bill Pullman gives a great performance, but let’s be honest: Zakes Mokae as Dargent Peytraud is the true star of this film. A commander of the secret police and a voodoo priest, he embodies political and supernatural oppression rolled into one. He’s charismatic, terrifying, and unpredictable making him one of Craven’s most underrated villains.

Most horror movies have one kind of threat. Here, the villain is both a real-world terror (representing dictatorship and control) and a supernatural one. That duality adds a layer of complexity that elevates the entire movie.

The Famous Burial Scene (and Why It Works)

No review of The Serpent and the Rainbow is complete without mentioning the infamous burial-alive sequence. Yes, it’s claustrophobic. Yes, it’s horrifying. But what makes it brilliant is the way Craven sets it up.

We’ve been told throughout the film that zombification isn’t just about physical death it’s about losing control, losing freedom, losing self. So when Dennis is nailed inside that coffin, it’s not just a fear of being buried alive. It’s the fear of being silenced, erased, and controlled. That’s why the scene lingers it taps into primal, universal dread.

Why The Serpent and the Rainbow Deserves More Attention

Most people either skip this film or remember it only for a handful of creepy visuals. But when you look closely, it’s one of Craven’s most ambitious works. He wasn’t making another Freddy Krueger or Ghostface; he was diving into folklore, anthropology, politics, and psychology, all wrapped in a horror framework.

It’s uneven at times, sure. Some effects don’t hold up, and the third act leans a little too hard into spectacle. But the ambition is undeniable and that’s why it deserves to be seen, discussed, and remembered.

Final Thoughts from BoxReview.com

Here at Box Review, we love horror movies that take risks, even if they stumble a little along the way. The Serpent and the Rainbow is one of those films. It blends Haitian folklore, political commentary, and psychological terror into something you just don’t see in mainstream horror.

It’s not a comfort-watch horror movie it’s the kind that unsettles you, sticks in your head, and makes you think about the thin line between reality and nightmare.

If you’ve only known Craven through Freddy and Ghostface, give The Serpent and the Rainbow a chance. It’s proof that sometimes the scariest stories come not from our imagination, but from the shadows of our history.

Act Fast... Limited Time Offer!

The Serpent and the Rainbow

1988