In the Mouth of Madness: An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer’s books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

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Introduction

In the Mouth of Madness is part of John Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy”. Sam Neill shows us he can be an educated scientist in “Jurassic Park”, and also display sheer horror and madness in this film. Directed by John Carpenter (The Ward 2010, Ghosts of Mars 2001, Vampires 1998)

When horror novelist Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow) goes missing, insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) scrutinizes the claim made by his publisher, Jackson Harglow (Charlton Heston), and endeavors to retrieve a yet-to-be-released manuscript and ascertain the writer’s whereabouts. Accompanied by the novelist’s editor, Linda Styles (Julie Carmen), and disturbed by nightmares from reading Cane’s other novels, Trent makes an eerie nighttime trek to a supernatural town in New Hampshire.

Sam Neill is a Gem

I have to admit, at first I knew of Sam Neill only from the Jurassic Park universe, only until I tried venturing out into the classic horror films did I learn that Neill was a horror film icon as well. Another appearance of his was in Peaky Blinders, as Inspector Chester Campbell. “In the Mouth of Madness” he was truly able to shine and be an icon in the horror genre.

Classic Monster Style

It pays homage to the works of H.P. Lovecraft, from the monsters they were able to put out, and the mysterious realm lurking behind the door. Monster design was great, a classic 90s monster effect, to hell with CGIs, this is what nightmares are made of.

As the title suggests, “Madness” is the theme of the film; from the coffee shop up until the ending, you’ll be left guessing if what’s happening is reality or fiction. From it being dreams, to hallucinations, this film will take you on for a ride, and you sanity along with it.

In the movie, there are a few moments where lines from Sutter Cane’s books are quoted and many of them are actually taken straight from H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories, with some tweaks to fit the film’s plot. One of the most obvious examples is when Styles reads to Trent while he stares into the abyss. Her lines borrow heavily from the final paragraphs of Lovecraft’s The Rats in the Walls, including phrases like “the illimitable gulf of the unknown.” Earlier in the film, Trent also recites a line word-for-word from The Haunter of the Dark, describing the black church as “the seat of an evil older than mankind and wider than the known universe.”

Music and Design

The sound/music are eerie and unsettling, really sets you in the mood of the scene. Set pieces are very well done, from the church, to the prison, to the village, they transport you to different locations and immerse you in it; makes you believe what your mind tell you not to. Specially the chain sealed door, you could see that it reeks of malice and there’s definitely something evil on the other side.

Conclusion

The first horror film of Sam Neill I’ve had the pleasure of watching was “Event Horizon”, though I felt his performance was weak there up until the part when things get crazy. On the other hand, In the Mouth of Madness, he went from insurance investigator, to a cult non-believer, to being insane, and to straight up being mad; he made me a fan of his in the horror genre.