This unnervingly tense supernatural/political horror is such a drug-induced nightmare and definitely not your typical zombie film. The film examines the mysteries of life and death in a really compelling way with the Haitian backdrop that adds a creepy layer of authenticity. The horror in this film comes from the hallucinations and nightmares and Wes knows how to masterfully work the nightmare world and constantly intertwines it with reality. Like I said earlier, the zombies in this film aren't the flesh-eating type, but people who are tricked into thinking they're dead and the idea of being buried alive to me is so scary. There's this constant feeling of danger throughout that's so genuinely terrifying and the film captures that well. Perhaps, it gets a bit too silly for me near the end but nothing too bad to take away from my overall enjoyment.

There's a lot to like here. A lot. This film is closer to a 7 than a 5. Unfortunately, select production elements and the close of the film falter and bring the overall rating down. If only this film had more polish. Additional rewrites (content is king!) and a higher budget allowing for more time and better/more/any crew/talent in select departments could've produced a classic. However, this is what we have - and it's good. It's just the type of special good that it makes you want for more. Aside: I've always thought Wes Craven was talented and had a lot more in him, but was never able to cross whatever personal lines held him back. While I certainly take issue with corporate interference, I don't think it's all the studios, as there are many wonderful projects out there made with less. Sadly, now we'll never know. As a side note, based on interviews I've seen, it also seems like he was just a good human, which goes a long way.

3 Thoughts After Watching ‘The Serpent and the Rainbow’: 1. What the hell happened to the tribe and Dennis’ pilot in the beginning? 2. The scene when Dennis’ room transformed into a coffin and started filling up with blood was a standout. I give the film points for a few solid visuals. 3. Voodoo movies are innately creepy _(see The Skeleton Key)_. I enjoyed that element and liked the idea of him heading back to Haiti to battle it out for the girl, the inevitable climax. But said battle ended up being a buncha nonsense and I was ultimately left wholly dissatisfied. Bonus Thought: The narration was inconsistent and didn’t serve the plot at all.

For Wes Craven this is probably his most real world horror and it is deeply disturbing.