moonspinner55 Nightmarish horror film from writer-director David Cronenberg, an early effort but one no less effective, was critically-panned at the time of its release but has since gained cult status with fans of the genre. A disturbed woman in a custody struggle with her estranged husband over their little girl is one of the in-patients at an institute run by an acclaimed psychotherapist. After her elderly mother and father are both found dead of violent beatings--apparently done by freakishly strong children--the husband believes the cool, imposing therapist knows the secret behind the mystery. Well-made and well-acted, "The Brood" is nevertheless uncomfortably (and unpleasantly) physical, particularly at the finale when the effects become too grisly. However, Cronenberg mounts his scenario meticulously; he knows how to grab a willing audience with his assured visuals, and the film is guaranteed to have fainthearted viewers holding their breath. ** from ****

Claudio Carvalho The unconventional psychotherapist Dr. Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed) uses a unique technique developed by him to expose the repressed feelings of his patients. Frank Carveth (Art Hindle) brings his daughter Candice (Cindy Hinds) home after spending the weekend visiting his ex-wife Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) that is interned in Dr. Raglan's Somafree Institute. He finds bruises on Candice's body and he tells Dr. Raglan that he will not bring Candice to visit Nola anymore. Meanwhile Dr. Raglan learns that Nola was abused by her mother and not protected by her father when she was young.Frank leaves Candice with his mother-in-law Juliana Kelly (Nuala Fitzgerald) to work, but she is attacked by a dwarf-like creature and brutally murdered. Her ex-husband Barton Kelly (Henry Beckman) comes to town for the funeral, but he is murdered by the same creature. However Frank kills the creature and the autopsy shows that it is not a human offspring. Then Candice's teacher Ruth Mayer (Susan Hogan) has an argument by phone with Nola and she is murdered in front of her class by two creatures that abduct Candice. Frank heads to Somafree and discovers the secret of the deformed children. "The Brood" is among the best horror movies by David Cronenberg. The plot is very well constructed and the gruesome conclusion is disturbing. The idea of Nola licking the fetus was conceived by Samantha Eggar and censored by censors in Canada, United States and United Kingdom. However the Brazilian DVD presents the uncensored version at least of this scene. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Os Filhos do Medo" ("The Sons of the Fear")

Christopher Reid I like the idea of horror movies but they're usually very disappointing and predictable and dull. This one was quite enjoyable. I was actually tense at many times and swore at the screen due to my confusion at what was going on. But I liked it. I would smile in relief after a weird or suspenseful scene.I don't know why, but for some reason, Cronenberg seems to have earned my respect. I've only seen a couple of his movies (The Fly and A History of Violence), but I feel like I understand his movies. He seems to take film seriously as an art form and tries to make interesting stuff without restricting himself. He seems to have a freedom similar to David Lynch who I also seem to click with - their movies are weird but make sense in some subconscious, twisted way. So you go on their dark journeys, restraining yourself from early judgement, trusting that somehow it all leads somewhere, means something even if you're not immediately sure what.I have to say the main guy's acting was not great (the father), however Oliver Reed was awesome and the crazy lady was intense (her eyes freaked me out BIG time). Horror movies often seem to suffer from terrible acting or, at least, a dull or dark mood. My brother dislikes them for that reason, Ebert seems to have had a similar opinion. The Brood partially suffers from this: the whole plot seems a bit depressing, like there's no hope at all. It would help if the father and daughter were happier or had more chemistry. Their lives seem very boring. There's no colour or laughter or smiles to contrast with the darkness brewing. The girl's simple innocence and vulnerability does work though - you feel more worried when things happen.The scary parts were very well done. They were completely bizarre and unexpected. I had no idea what was going on or what to expect next. But it was riveting and disturbing in an entertaining way. There were times I was definitely expecting something to jump out and nothing happened or vice-versa which is refreshing. There could have been a bit more comedy or even drama to give meaning to the horror though.By the end, most things were satisfyingly explained (or you can work them out for yourself). It generally all made sense and is probably more creepy once you know what's really going on. I think any horror fan would like this movie quite a lot. For others, it's still interesting for its strangeness. I'll always remember it for its many wtf and omg moments.

craigh01 This movie was very good, the concept is great, the horrible scenes are great but not "real" enough. IF ONLY they had great special effects back then, it could have been a 10!Cronenberg, (who directed one of my favorites, "The Fly", has a great idea here. He seems to have some actors he likes, for example one guy who had "an unfortunate experience" under the care of the psychologist, was also in "Scanners" (another favorite). This doesn't come close to as good as The Fly or Scanners, but it's still pretty good.IF ONLY the little mutant children looked more realistic, it would have been perfect... It's a little 70-ish, if you can't overlook the older style of filming and acting you may not like it...