David Cronenberghas made a successful career out of helming some of themost visceral and visually disturbing body horrors in cinema. It started back in the 1970s with movies likeThe Shiversand has continued over the last 50-plus years with notable entries includingScannersin 1981, 1986’sThe Fly, and most recently, in 2022, withCrimes of the Future. The prolific filmmaker has dabbled in other genres like psychological thrillers and dramas, but he is most notable because of hisavant-garde approach to conceptual and experimental horror. He has even made a few cameos in several of his films, appearing in small and largely unnoticed roles. But there have been two occasions in which Cronenberg was tabbed for featured, leading roles, and one of those was when he worked with another horror legend,Clive Barker, in the 1990 surreal cult filmNightbreed.While he isn’t known for his acting abilities, Cronenberg played the part with tremendous aplomb.
Who Does David Cronenburg Play in Clive Barker’s “Nightbreed'?
Cronenberg plays Dr. Philip K. Decker (likely an homage toPhilip K. Dick, who greatly influenced his work), a psychiatrist who is treating Aaron Boone (Craig Scheffer). Boone is having nightmarish visions of a group of ghoulish creatures that exist in a place called Midian.Decker, for reasons that are revealed later in the film, is gaslighting the psychologically vulnerable Booneinto believing that he is not only crazy but also responsible for a series of gruesome murders at the hands of a vicious serial killer. If you haven’t seenNightbreedyet and want no spoilers before you do so, go check it out before reading further.
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Viggo Mortensen bares it all.
Later, Decker reveals himself as the brutal killer who wears a tight-fitting bag over his head with a zipper around the mouth area. He has been killing these families and is now hellbent on eliminating what is left of a clan of creatures known as the Nightbreed. They have survived for hundreds of years; the remaining few live underneath the Midian graveyard in a makeshift town full of bizarre and hideous mutations.Nightbreedis intended to shock you withthe heinous freakshows that Barker is so talented at delivering on film,but the dark performance by Cronenburg as Decker is much more frightening.
What Makes David Cronenberg’s Performance So Terrifying in ‘Nightbreed’?
The old adage, “You have a face that’s perfect for radio,” is a less-than-subtle way to tell someone that they aren’t terribly attractive. We’re not saying that about Cronenberg, but he undoubtedly has a face that is perfect for a devilish character in a scary movie.If Cronenberg hadn’t found his niche behind the camera, he would have been a force to be reckoned with as a villainous performer. His physical traits, mannerisms, and delivery all work to make him so believable in this disturbing role. What may be the most surprising part of his performance is his timing.His scenes with Scheffer, before Aaron knows he’s the killer and after, are carefully measured, and he seems to know that a deliberate pace to Decker makes him even more frightening. He has directed enough standout performances to mimic what a great horror role requires.
Dr. Decker is an authority figure Aaron and the rest of the community believe they can trust. Behind his circular, rimmed glasses is a thin, almost gaunt face accentuated by a pronounced post-orbital ridge and heavy eyebrows. Add these features to highly positioned cheekbones, a generously extended, narrow nose, and thin lips,and he looks noticeably intense even when he isn’t trying to.Cronenberg has a face that is perfect for the horror genre. And though the now-81-year-old auteur is of average height, his slender, wiry physique lends itself to aRobert Englund/Freddy Krueger kind of spooky malevolent force. But he’s still able to show a tremendous sense of intimidating physicality in the climactic fight scene.
David Cronenberg Rarely Acts, But He’s a Solid Performer
If you weren’t aware who played Dr. Decker inNightbreed,you probably would never guess it was the horror auteur. Beyond his perfect-for-horror looks, he has a subtle, measured delivery that works perfectly for this villainous role.All the best creepers are too busy being maniacs to speak much, and though he proves he belongs on-screen, putting a cap on his dialogue lets audiences' imaginations run more rampant. His timing with Scheffer and the other professional actors in the movie is better spot on. So, while we are thrilled that Cronenberg has dazzled and haunted for so long withhis experimental and trailblazing direction,Nightbreedproves that he is no one-trick pony.
Nightbreedis available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
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Nightbreed
