31 Days of Halloween: Jordan Peele Recommends: Dead Again, Kenneth Branagh’s Neo-Noir Reincarnation Thriller

Dead Again - Kenneth Branagh - 1991

 

★★★-Dead Again. Day 5 of the Nightmare on Film Street  31 Days of Halloween Horror Challenge. Jordan Peele night. I chose to watch one of his recommended movies since I’ve seen his trio multiple times. It was alright but forgettable. 

A neo-noir romantic thriller directed by Kenneth Branagh. Definitely feels like one of his movies. He plays Los Angeles private detective Mike Church, who is investigating the identity of a mute amnesiac woman (played by real life wife at the time Emma Thompson) plagued by nightmares. They delve into her past through hypnosis, uncovering a connection to a 1949 murder case involving composer Roman Strauss, who is also played by Branagh. Strauss, who is Jewish, fled Nazi Germany with the help of his maid and her creepy son, was convicted and executed for the murder of his wife, Margaret, played by Thompson. Get a little screen time from Robin Williams, but this is a Branagh/Thompson vehicle.

The story intertwines past and present, revealing secrets and reincarnation themes as Mike and the woman, now called Grace, discover their own links to the tragic couple. It’s entertaining, and the performances are fine. But not a classic by any means.