Dead of Night (Deathdream) – Review

Gunshots and fiery explosions ring out in the Vietnam jungle as soldiers Andy Brooks (Backus) and Darren Wilson retreat in darkness. Andy catches a bullet to the chest and screams out in horror. Then, a ghostlike voice… “Andy, you can’t die, you promised you’d come back…”

The Brooks family says their dinner prayer, with mother Christine (Carlin) focuses on Andy and bringing him back safely, almost willing him home. She cannot think of anything else, and when he will be back. In fact, it’s all she can talk about. Then, an ominous knock on the door.

Christine opens it, revealing an officer, George Walker, who has sad news about Andy. Charles (Marley) and Christine mourn the news about their son, shot dead by a sniper, while their daughter Cathey (Ormsby) breaks down. It is a crushing moment for the family who have lost their Andy.

Christine shrieks out “It’s a lie” unable to process the news. The devastation has hit the Brooks household and they wish for any way that Andy was alright. Christine has a meltdown and can’t stop calling for Andy, knowing he is alive. She can feel it.

Soon after, a soldier is picked up along a dark highway, a trucker giving a hitchhiker a ride, while lamenting how quiet the man is. After a stop for smokes and coffee, the trucker drives the soldier into the night. Things start to get a bit strange and creepy afterwards. The soldier heads “home” to his “family” however things are not exactly what they seem to be.

Dead of Night or Deathdream is pretty damn unnerving at times even by today’s standards. Part of it is the dreamlike quality of the filming and presentation. This gives a surreal and wholly creepy vibe especially as the soundtrack pumps odd noises and sounds.

While not packed with stars, this almost gives the film a more realistic atmosphere with the Brooks family dealing with their returned family member. The short runtime keeps the story fresh and moving along quick enough without sacrificing the strong mysterious nature. While it may start slow and creepy, eventually it takes off into insanity.

Dead of Night was renamed later as Deathdream to try and separate it from the 1945 film also named Dead of Night, which has an entirely different plot.