Dead Again (1991) User Reviews (147)

Classy Modern Noir Fantasy

[gftbiloxi · 8/10 · 18 April 2005]

Although he received tremendous praise for his memorable film production of Shakespeare's HENRY V, DEAD AGAIN was the film that really introduced actor/director Kenneth Branagh to mainstream American film, and for a time he and then-wife Emma Thompson were the most celebrated acting couple since Olivier and Leigh. The marriage did not last, but fortunately this film did--and I say fortunately, for although it is somewhat forgotten today, DEAD AGAIN is an overlooked jewel of a film: classy, noir-ish, stylish, and very memorable indeed.

The story is fanciful. In the late 1940s noted composer Roman Strauss was convicted of murdering his noted pianist wife Margaret, and was sentenced to death. Some forty years later, a young woman suffering from amnesia falls into the hands of a no-nonsense Los Angeles private eye--and under hypnosis she recalls not her immediate past, but the lives of Roman and Margaret. Is this reincarnation? Is she Margaret Strauss? Is the private eye to whom she is attracted but of whom she is also strangely fearful the reincarnation of Roman Strauss, Margaret's killer? Is history repeating itself? Scott Frank's clever script makes for a fast-paced, twisting, and fascinating plot-driven film--and it is flawlessly played by Branagh and Thompson, who assume dual roles as the 1940s Roman and Margaret Strauss and the 1980s Mike Church and Grace. The supporting cast is also excellent, with memorable performances by Andy Garcia and Derek Jacobi--and a truly exceptional cameo by Robin Williams, who here for the first time demonstrated that his talents went far beyond comedy. The shifts between past and present, nightmare and reality are exceedingly well done, and although the plot becomes more and more fantastic the entire film is so perfectly executed that one buys into it every step of the way.

If DEAD AGAIN has a flaw, it is that some of the twists and turns are predictable--but in the film's favor I must admit that it sweeps you along so quickly that you seldom have time to analyze that failing while you actually watch the film. It is also to a certain extent a "one trick pony" film; the film is at its most powerful upon a first viewing, when one is oblivious to what is coming. But even so, it is tremendously effective and it holds up as well today as when it first appeared on the big screen. The current DVD includes little in the way of extras beyond commentary tracks by producer Lindsay Doran, writer Scott Frank, and director-star Kenneth Branagh--and these are as hit-and-miss as commentary tracks usually are, but they hit more often than miss. The picture and sound quality is overall very good. Recommended!

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Kenneth Branagh is alive again.

[dbdumonteil · 7/10 · 10 February 2005]

Trying to work à la Hitchcock is a very perilous task:Kenneth Branagh walks out with honors.The numerous influences and nods are interesting:"Notorious" "Rebecca" "Spellbound" "Vertigo""dial M for murder" come to mind but there are certainly more...Brannagh is a pupil who assimilates things easily.He's helped by a stellar cast:his then-wife Emma Thompson,really beautiful,Hanna Shygulla ,in an underwritten part ,Robin Williams,Campbell Scott,Andy Garcia -You want to stop smoking?Have a look at his last scene!-.... The marvelously far-fetched plot grabs the audience till the very end as the two stories meet.Brannagh and Thompson succeeded in creating two characters each .The director cleverly uses in turn color (present) and black and white (past).The finale in the flat where the amnesic girl keeps her surrealist works (a la Dali,like in "spellbound" ) is grand guignol at its best.That's entertainment!

An unusual mix that really works

[Tom Murray · 8/10 · 28 September 2004]

Dead Again is categorized as Mystery / Romance / Thriller and it does very well in all three categories. It begins as a mystery, develops into a romance and ends up very thrilling. It is also Gothic, film noir, sometimes melodramatic and often humorous: an unusual mix that really works. The opening credits show 1948 news stories about symphony conductor, Roman Strauss (Kenneth Branagh), who was executed for murdering his wife, Margaret (Emma Thompson). The film was in Black and White. Then the film switches to the present and to colour and we find Emma Thompson in a Catholics boys' home, mute and suffering from nightmares and amnesia. The priest in charge elicits free help from Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh), a private detective who specializes in missing persons and was brought up in that home. "Grace" (a name that she and Mike use because she does not know her real name) ends up staying with Mike while he tries to sort things out. An advertisement brings Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), who offers to discover her past through hypnotic regression. He ends up regressing her into a past life. At this point, if one does not believe in reincarnation, as Mike Church did not, then one can add Fantasy to the list of the film's categories; it does very well in that category also.

As fate would have it, Mike and Grace grow closer and fall in love, an event that is undoubtedly made more convincing by the fact that Branagh and Watson were happily married at the time that the film was made. The style of the modern romance contrasts with the melodrama of the 1940's marriage, in which Roman gives Margaret an anklet and says, "The man I bought it from explained to me that when a husband gives this to his wife, they become two halves of the same person. Nothing can separate them, not even death." That idea helped to clarify the most surprising plot twist of all, one that is disclosed visually. The plot is one of the cleverest mystery plots that I have witnessed. One is never sure of what to think. Did Roman kill Margaret? If not then who did? Many look suspicious. What is the relationship between the past lovers, Roman and Margaret, and the present lovers, Mike and Grace? The plot has many twists and turns, all of which appear to be realistic. Clues drop like rain. There are many strong roles and the acting is excellent throughout. Many actors have roles in both stories.

Disjointed, messy

[matunos · 6/10 · 22 May 2011]

I caught this on HBO the other night. I have to go against the grain here and say that I found the movie good enough to keep me watching once I had invested some time in it, but barely. Of course it has a (now) star-studded cast, and that wasn't really its weakness.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

I found the plot to be all over the place. It severely tested my suspension of disbelief. Okay, the premise is one of past lives (in which two people are somehow reincarnated into spitting images of their former selves who both live in the same city along with their original antagonists) and hypnotic regression... I can live with that for the sake of the story. But from there the plot continues to test my credulity with increasingly ridiculous, and mostly pointless events and twists:

• Why would Franklyn risk regressing Grace in Mike's presence, thinking that she is was his former victim (hence the whole reason he approached the two himself)? What if she immediately recalled the events as they actually happened? She might not finger his present self, but she would know the truth, the dots would be easy to connect, and the whole plot would be thrown off.

• While there may have been subtle clues dropped as to the actual reincarnation identities beforehand, the whole switcheroo came off to me as a late-breaking addition, and regardless, it ultimately led nowhere. It did not impact the outcome at all and basically seemed to be an excuse to get Robin William's character in another scene. Whoever was who in the past, Franklyn was still the antagonist. And as for the memories, if Grace was actually Roman, then why was she having nightmares of being stabbed in the throat with scissors? Why was she unable to speak at the beginning of the movie, and petrified of letting people into her bedrooms when she slept? Not every dream sequence of hers fell into this category (e.g. only Roman could remember the walk to the electric chair); they're just jumbled up (why would Grace remember rebuking Inga?). To maintain suspension of belief, I need some semblance of internal consistency.

• Speaking of Robin William's character, at first Dr. Carlisle implies that these sorts of past lives are rare, or at least, it is rare to uncover them in hypnosis (or was rare for him to anyway). Yet, later on, he seems to be an expert in the matter, explaining how gender swapping reincarnations happen all the time.

• Mike brought Grace the anklet he recovered from Franklyn's store, and that became a symbol to her of the truth of their identities. But wouldn't the anklet have more of an emotional impact on Mike, seeing as how he was the one who was actually Margaret?

Some lesser plot holes, which are common movie tropes, but (a) I expect better from a director of Branaugh's caliber (even in 1991), and (b) they reach a crescendo right at the climax, making it more of a farce to me than a drama:

• How is it that Mike was shot, unconscious, non-responsive and near death one moment, and the next he is not only alert, but able to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Franklyn?

• Why the hell was Newman delivering a pizza to Grace's apartment in the middle of the night, when earlier it was clear she wasn't expecting anyone? Maybe I missed something there, but that just seemed so random, I didn't know whether to laugh or shout at the screen (I did both).

• The climactic, slow-motion, emotional showdown was just silly.

All in all, I think if the movie were presented as a dramedy, it could have sold me. But it took itself far too seriously despite the numerous "what the?!" moments. Somebody should have switched gears in editing.

Multi-faceted film worth seeing

[philip-ct · 7/10 · 14 April 2006]

This is a gripping film, multi-layered, with a good script and good performances from its cast.

The story is interesting: a woman (plagued by a recurring nightmare) lands up, unable to speak, with amnesia, at a local convent. Mike Church (Branagh) must find out who she is. (We 'know', owing to black and white footage (featuring the same actors, but different characters, about 40 years ago, shortly after WW II) Through hypnotherapy, questions of reincarnation and past lives emerge.The film creates, rather than answers, questions. There are a number of twists and turns in the plot to make this film gripping.

I was not totally convinced that the ending of the film serves its purpose, but the film is gripping. Do see it.

Film noir reincarnation/murder story with surprising twists

[cshalm · 10/10 · 27 July 2005]

This movie is one of the unappreciated jewels of the 1990's, a film done so well that virtually every aspect, from script to direction to performances to music to editing, sweeps you away. Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson (who were then married)each played two roles, one in the past, one in the present, with different clothes, hairstyles and accents, as part of a couple destined to be together forever.

Branagh, coming off his rookie directing debut in HENRY V, did a simply beautiful job here, using the same creative team as HV (Patrick Doyle deserves especial kudos for his astounding musical score). Playing both a cynical private eye ("I'm not looking for Miss Right; I'm looking for Miss Right Now") and a jealous German composer from the 1940's, he turns in two complete portraits of unusual men, while directing as well.

The film didn't stay in theaters long (most likely due to studio politics), but has apparently found a new audience on video. I've loved it since the first time I saw it, in its first run (I admit to seeing it five times in the theater and buying it on video the day it came out) -- so I may be slightly prejudiced -- but from every angle -- thriller, love story, character study -- it's a winner. See it on DVD and hear Branagh's comments on various aspects of the film -- that adds another dimension right there.

In fact, see it any way you can. It's just marvelous.

oh, I really like this movie!

[thisisyourlife · 17 July 2003]

I just finished watching "Dead Again" for the second time, and I really dig it. It's a well-made thriller, and Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson were always great together. It has an interesting story, a couple of good jump moments, and good supporting performances from Robin Williams and whatshisname who played Newman on "Seinfeld". The Hitchcock homage isn't overdone, and there are some nicely-placed visual clues (although one of them is far too obvious, the others are more subtle), as well as little references to other films the actors have been in before. Derek Jacobi is soooo good at being slimy, and the entire end sequence is tense and well-edited. That said, the big twist toward the end of the movie does poke a couple of plot holes, and causes some real loss of tension at the end of the movie- placing the big revelation much closer to the end might have made a big difference in the division of opinions about this movie. Either way, it's pretty enjoyable- well worth renting on a rainy night.

The Karma: More Twists Than a Pretzel

[romanorum1 · 7/10 · 13 February 2015]

This movie is about dual parallel stories occurring in Los Angeles in the late forties and again four decades later in the early nineties. The segments that make up 1948-1949 portion are in black and white flashbacks, and focus on the tragic love affair of music composer and conductor Roman (Kenneth Branagh) and pianist Margaret Strauss (Emma Thompson). The opening montage is made of compiled newspaper headlines and clippings that scream about the murder of Margaret (MURDER . . . TRIAL . . . GUILTY . . .). We quickly learn that Roman was convicted and executed for the scissor-murder of his wife. Roman goes to the electric chair proclaiming his innocence. Margaret had been suspicious that ominous housekeeper Inga (Hanna Schygulla) and her strange and stuttering son Frankie (Gregor Hesse) may have stolen jewelry items from Roman. But Inga had saved Roman from Hitler, so she kept her position. In turn, Roman was unhappy that his wife seemed to have taken an inordinate amount of interest with newspaper writer Gray Baker (Andy Garcia).

The early 1990s part involves private investigator Mike Church (Branagh again), who has been asked by Father Timothy (Richard Easton), a priest, to unearth the identity of a woman (Thompson again) who has lost both her voice and her memory. She experiences terrible nightmares. Church had intended to drop off Thompson at the local madhouse, but after seeing conditions there he decided to put her up for a night or two. He gives her a faux-name, "Grace." Helpful newspaper man Piccolo Pete (Wayne Knight) puts her photograph in the local rag. Peculiar hypnotist (and antique dealer on the side!), Franklyn Madison (Derek Jacobi) responds quickly. Now Franklyn believes that a trauma from the woman's past is causing mute amnesia. When Franklyn, with permission from Mike Church, places Grace under hypnotism, she begins to have visions from the 1940s, i.e., Roman and Margaret's life (before Grace was born). Grace soon regains her voice, but not her memory. As she begins to grow closer to Mike, she notices the similarities between their lives and the previous ones of Roman and Margaret. As she looks even deeper into her past, she begins to fear Mike, feeling that – like Roman earlier – he will eventually kill her (as he is apparently Roman re-incarnated). But did Roman really kill Margaret? At a critical point Church tells Grace, "I would never hurt you, MARGARET" (Freudian slip), Grace screams right away.

Cozy Carlisle (Robin Williams), ex-psychiatrist turned supermarket worker, soon warns Mike that he should indeed kill Grace before she kills him because fate is what it is. There are similarities between past and present lives. Reincarnation also means that one may return in a different gender: Grace could be Roman while Mike may be Margaret (heavy stuff here)! After researching, Piccolo Pete tells Grace that her real name is Amanda Sharp, an artist who lost her memory after being mugged. (Note the Salvador Dali copy of his famous painting in her spacious apartment ("The Persistence of Memory"). After, when Mike agrees to be hypnotized, he uncovers a startling secret. When Mike later locates the aged and decrepit Gray in a wretched condition at a nursing facility, he is told that Inga the housekeeper knew everything that went on in the Strauss household. When asked about her and son Frankie, Gray says "They had opened some sort of shop . . . AN-tiques." Mike's utter surprise sets up the denouement. Under Patrick Doyle's rousing musical score, there is a grand operatic clash with slow-motion shots and with cuts between the (black and white) past and (color) present times. It is a bit pretentious, though (but dig those gigantic scissors!).

Yes, the story is complicated and relies on coincidence but it is a good tale, and very inventive. Each of the plot twists is given suitable build-up that avoids viewer confusion. One gets so swept away with the yarn and buys into the story that he/she ignores the coincidences (like Mike's meeting with Grace/Amanda in the first place). The character development is at a high level, while the sets and scenes are imaginatively well-done. Acting performances are first-rate. Derek Jacobi (of "I, Claudius" fame) is excellent as the hypnotist with a sinister agenda. An innovative touch occurs when he puts folks under not just to obtain information about the past, but also to pry from subconscious minds the whereabouts of certain antiques that may somehow fetch him big dollars. Robin Williams, as Cozy Carlisle, believing that the world has thoroughly porked him, leaves no room for anything but the blackest of humor in his top performance. Kenneth Branagh directed, and he and his then wife Emma Thompson shared the lead roles of both eras effectively, with the nod going to the latter. Matthew Leonetti's cinematography is effective at capturing moods. Whether or not you want believe in reincarnation does not matter (this writer does not) as the film's entertainment value is high. But you need to pay close attention to the story!

AN EPIC CLASSIC THRILLER!

[rcavellero · 10/10 · 11 April 2004]

Dead Again is an absolutely amazing film! To call it anything less would be a complete insult.The film is so multi layered in charachter development, story growth and my god those fantastic twists and some truly winning and believable performances. Where have thrillers and films like this gone. They kept you up at night and got your adrenaline going. You didn't know what was happeneing until exactly the end and the tension building up was gratifying without the brilliant and dead on conclusion. where have they gone? Emma Thompson stars as a beautiful amnesia victim whom awakes in catholic shelter suffering from violent nightmares. Kenneth Brannagh stars as Mike Church a detective who becomes smitten with her and decides to help to find her identity. He enlists the help of a psychic and through those sessions they discover her past life and how she was murdered and how it's now relaying to her recent one. Now it's up to them to discover the facts before history tries to repeat itself.

Good & Bad Of Dead Again

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 22 March 2006]

I found a number of both good and bad things about this film, but that's because of my beliefs. Overall, most people, I think, would enjoy this. Here's a few brief comments, which I don't except will be well-received, but.....

The GOOD - It's always a treat to see Emma Thompson on the silver screen, especially when she plays her '40s "Margaret" character in this film. The most interesting character in here, though, is her real-life husband (at that time), Kenneth Branagh. Lots of tension in this movie, too, that keeps your attention.

THE BAD - The story centers around a total belief in re-incarnation, doing everything it can to validate those beliefs. Also, there are a few major holes in the story and there's a corny ending, action-wise.

Idiotic

[SimonSaysSmallScreen · 4/10 · 29 March 2021]

Where to begin? Maybe it's the 30 years that have passed since this was made, but it hasn't worn well. A bland idea for the plot, poorly conceived, with irrelevant sub-plots and characters. Absurd dialogue and fuzzy main characters whose behavior is either unexplained or illogical in the context. Branagh's worship of Woody Allen was evident already here in his strange portrayal of the main character as if he was a neurotic New Yorker, a trait however that fades, as the film progresses, for no discernible reason. What was Robin Williams' character even for? What was the Andy Garcia sub-plot about? It amounted to nothing, in the end. As did the film itself.

one of his best

[cgflames · 10/10 · 26 February 2005]

So you know, I own this movie in both VHS and DVD format. I lend out my VHS to anyone I can get to watch this movie.

I have seen many of Kenneth's movies, for me this is his best. Many others easily come to mind that are fantastic, but for me the two story lines and the mixing together of the two is incredible.

It is different, I was spellbound from the suspense most of the movie. I wanted it to end so I could know if everything works out, but then wanted it to go on and on.

If you like suspense, this movie is for you. The language is a little on the strong side at times, but not too much and appropriate to the characters and story.

Not What I Was Expecting

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 16 October 2015]

An amnesiac (Emma Thompson) and a private eye (Kenneth Branagh) find they might have a past life connection.

Somehow this film ended up on my list of horror and thriller films to see. Horror? Not in the slightest. Thriller? Perhaps. Regardless, it does have a bit of the supernatural (past lives) and some great actors involved. Any time Wayne Knight gets to be anyone other than Newman or the villain in "Jurassic Park" is a good thing.

Although I would not recommend to this to anyone looking for a thriller, it is a better than average movie that seems to have slipped through the cracks. I certainly never heard of it before and knew nothing about it until I hit play.

Ugh... serious schlock.

[onepotato2 · 3/10 · 19 July 2009]

A lousy headline montage brings us up to speed on an old murder under the credits (See Murder on the Orient Express for a superior prologue/montage). Then the story begins; a woman who has stopped talking is shopped around town (L.A.) to learn why, and who she is.

How on earth did everyone imagine this was Branagh's take on Hitchcock? He's really toying with Welles (and noir), specifically 'Mr Arkadin' with its masquerade and bearded Orson. But with viewers not knowing their history (about anything) and unable to communicate, you get misconceptions like that. And, it's a whodunit. How many whodunits did Hitch make… two? Instead Branagh wants to BE Orson Welles, and the camera work is noticeably fluid, but Welles worst movie (pick one, there are lots) has far superior lighting, compositions, tonal range and camera work. Welles was intoxicated by celluloid beauty and B&W helped him find it. Noir uses the screen so much better than this. Color makes peoples eyes lazy, as here. But it's easy to see why this cops out; the story is so surface-deep they may have concluded it couldn't support too much originality in the visuals. However, a frequently roaming camera does provide one remarkable, nice extended shot in the first hypnosis session.

Brit Branagh has no feel for L.A., and has created a bizarro L.A. that is peopled mostly by Brits; lipless Branagh, unconventional Thompson and stagebound Jacobi; both men looking doughy. The twist here is interesting but it comes about half an hour before a solution that is beneath everyone. In the end I can't tell you at all how the twist contributes anything to the conclusion. As with most movies, the more explanation that is hurriedly provided in the climax, the worse the movie gets. I can't even imagine what people think these shallow last-minute resolutions do for them. DA reminded me of the lame, forgotten Hitch-ripoffs 'The Morning After' and 'Still of the Night' with Meryl Streep. If you wrote a time machine into 'Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte' it would probably be like this.

It's too long (1:47). The plot is simply not interesting enough to drag things out half an hour beyond irritation. Already at 1:06 it feels like it should be winding down. I just wanted it to conclude. Needless developments, a hammy score... and keep your eyes peeled for the worst aging make-up ever seen in a major film.

Brilliant

[MRP-Ent · 13 December 2021]

An incredibly well done stylish thriller. Performances, direction, script, etc., were all fantastic. Contains one of the best jump scares ever and it is entirely created by the score and Emma Thompson's reaction to something Kenneth Branagh says. Such a great film.

A treat thriller for those fascinated by the possibility of metempsychosis.

[Deusvolt · 7/10 · 19 April 2006]

This is a good movie to share with family or friends huddled around a TV on a cold dark night. That's how I saw it in Baguio City during the monsoon season. Emma Thompson, always a fine actress in almost all of her films, easily tugs at viewers' sympathy by subtly projecting the vulnerability of her character.

My favorite, however, is Derek Jacobi who very convincingly essays the role of a middle aged but handsome sophisticated and knowledgeable antiquarian.

I already said I liked this movie but I didn't go crazy over it. But I knew chicks, gays and generally sentimental people as well as those intrigued by esoteric spirituality would. My prediction turned out to be true. If you've seen it once, there's no sense seeing it again because by then the thrill would be gone. But if you're looking for influences of Hitchcock and other master directors of thrillers, there's fun in repeated viewings.

If you like films dealing with possible reincarnation and crime, you should also see Chances Are with Cybill Shepherd in the the lead. Hitchcock's Vertigo also comes to mind.

Dead Again & Again & Again & Again

[strong-122-478885 · 6/10 · 20 January 2017]

Scissors. Scissors. Scissors. Yes. Indeed - Scissors!.... So phallic (?). And, yet, so suggestively female (?), as well.... And, believe me - Actual penetration can be oh-so deadly!

Slick. Glossy. Intense. Intriguing - (There's no denying it) - Dead Again was (most definitely) all of these things. But, alas, by the time that the ending rolled around, this film somehow failed to satisfy this viewer as being a genuine Thriller geared to the intellect..... Needless to say, though, Dead Again was an unusually constructed Suspense/Drama, if nothing else.

And, yet, regardless of being a well-crafted and highly-stylized film production (with shades of "Hitchcock" thrown in for good measure) - Dead Again's basic story-line was ultimately just too-too dense, and, yes, just too-too artificial, to actually achieve its overall magic to its anticipated potential.

"Dead Again" trivia - Upon its initial release back in 1991, this film remained the absolute #1 movie at the box-office, all across the nation and beyond, for 3 solid weeks running.

And again.. and again,, and again.

[sol-kay · 9/10 · 19 July 2005]

***SPOILERS*** Modern Film-Noir murder mystery that covers 42 years,1948-1990, and two lifetimes. Grace, Emma Thompson,has been in this Catholic sanitarium, Saint Audrey's, since she was found wandering aimlessly on the streets of L.A. With the church not being able to keep or care for her any longer due to her deteriorating mental condition the church's administrator Father Thimothy, Richard Easton,calls a former parishioner Private eye Mike Church, Kenneth Branagh. Church is to find out just who this Grace, a name given to her by the church, really is.

Putting an ad in the local L.A newspapers Church is immediately contacted by antique dealer Franklin Madson, Derek Jacobi. Madson dabbles in the occult and is experienced in the science of past-life regression; regressing persons back to their past lives through hypnosis. Madson puts Grace into a trance and regresses her back in time. It's then that Grace claims that in her previous existence she was a woman named Margrate Struss back in 1949. It was back then in 1949 that she was murdered by her husband Roman. Roman was a failing Hollywood musical composer and with his money, that he inherited from his first wife back in Germany, gone he was just about to have a nervous breakdown. Romans also suspected that Margaret was cheating on him by having an affair with newspaper reporter Gray Baker, Andy Garcia. One evening Roman just lost it and took out a pair of scissors brutally murdering Margaret.

This amazing revelation, by Grace, is later confirmed through old newspapers clippings that also brought out that not only was there a Margaret and Roman Struss, back in L.A in 1948-49, but that she was also brutally murdered by her husband Roman.

Mike and his assistant Pete(Wayne Knight), who later in the film makes one of the most jolting as well as unsuspecting guest appearances in motion picture history, get in touch with former psychiatrist and now grocery store owner Cozy Carlisle, Robin Williams, an expert in past-life regression. Cralisle, who was drummed out of his profession for having sex with one of his patients, tells them that past-life regressions do in fact have some truth to them and what Grace has been saying under hypnosis could very well have happened to her in a past life.

The movie then takes on an almost supernatural angle to it and as its story slowly starts unfolding it becomes apparent to everyone that Grace is telling the truth but there's only one slight misrepresentation in her story! Grace wasn't Margrate Struss in her previous existence and the person who was wasn't murdered by Roman! There are surprises galore in this movie about murder madness and reincarnation and an ending that will surly blow you, like almost everyone else watching it, away.

The movie is so well put together that your never allowed, by it's writer and director, to realize exactly what's going on until almost the very last five or so minutes. It's then where the truth about Grace/Margrate suddenly explodes right in your face leaving you, like it did both Grace & Mike Church, in a state of shock.

Crossing different lives and time periods "Dead Again" in its concluding moments comes to a startling and paranormal rendezvous. It's at that point when the past suddenly catches up with the present and the mind boggling results of that time/space related conjunction become truly astonishing.

Shakespeare, it ain't

[mjneu59 · 6/10 · 13 November 2010]

In the follow up to his acclaimed 'Henry V', actor-director Kenneth Branagh trades high culture for low rent thrills, playing an LA detective hired to learn the identity of a mute amnesia victim (Emma Thompson) suffering nightmares of a much publicized murder case from the late 1940s. Is she the reincarnation of the victim? And has her killer also been reincarnated as her detective/lover? The paranormal hook, with the entire cast playing their earlier selves in flashback, adds an entertaining twist to the otherwise cheap but lively whodunit scenario. And Branagh, perhaps wanting to prove himself a real Hollywood filmmaker, doubles the fun by pitching the action and performances to the edge of hysteria. His phony California accent is no more convincing than his broad directorial flourishes (note the use of TV-style close-ups, even in the black and white retro-noir flashbacks), but the film never pretends to be anything more than what it is: silly, sub-Hitchcock fluff for a not quite jaded summertime crowd.

A Thrilling, Murderous Plot Film Noir with Lots of Fun Twists

[BullMooseWV · 10/10 · 16 July 2022]

This film made me a Kennth Branagh fan and even more of a. Emma Thompson fan. I'm usually pretty picky with my film ratings, so a solid 10 is unusual, but wholly deserved.

This reincarnation murder thriller is suspenseful and well executed. Branagh's comment regarding the decision to re-filter the flashback scenes in Black and white, when they were actually shot in color, is interesting. Now going back and reviewing those scenes I can see what he means. But if you don't know any of that, you'll love this film and not miss a beat. Because your heart WILL be beating fast. Enjoy. It's great cinema!

Dead Again - Interesting but a little dated

[stepperwalsh · 7/10 · 11 March 2021]

Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) is a private dick with an eye for the bizarre. After paying a visit to orphanage he accepts a case involving a mute woman with amnesia (Emma Thompson). Attempting to recover her memory he employees the help of hypnotist who tries some past life regression therapy. It's not the first thing I would've tried but hey, I'm not a doctor. Not only does this treatment work - her voice returns - we find out in the previous life she was victim of a murder by her husband. What's even more bizarre is she is the spitting image of the past life self, and her murdering husband looks exactly like detective Mike Church. Is this just a coincidence or is history repeating itself?

Dead Again is an old school psychological thriller. I say old school because, although made in 1990, it has the feel of a much older movie. Maybe it's because of the black and white flashback sequences. Or it could be related to the distinct 1940s noir atmosphere it is trying to cultivate.

The movie opened to much fanfare back on the day. Kenneth Branagh, who also directed, was lauded as a new Hitchcock-esque director. It was also noteworthy because this was one of Robin Williams first serious roles. He plays former psychiatrist who lost his license and spouts truths about reincarnation "it's the karma credit plan, you buy now you pay forever".

It has lost its shine through the years and I guess modern audiences might find it laughable in places. I certainly did. First time around I really liked it, this time I found it needlessly complicated. Then again, maybe I'm just becoming dumber!

Mediocre at best

[Superunknovvn · 5/10 · 18 December 2006]

Kenneth Branagh's second work as a director is a very lukewarm effort. The main problem lies with the flawed story but the movie has got a rather cheap and dated look, too.

The script is full of plot holes, forced mysteries, riddles that are thrown in to keep the viewer puzzled but don't really make any sense at all. It also seems rather goofy how quickly the concept of reincarnation and karma is accepted as a fact by virtually everyone in the movie. The relations of the individual characters are also far fetched and don't really make any sense. Up to the showdown with it's unintentionally funny and over the top slow motion ballyhoo, "Dead Again" never manages to grip the viewer. The occasional funny elements don't help, either.

Is this a comedy, a drama, a romance or a mystery? "Dead Again" seems more like a parody at times with it's goofy black and white story lines in the past. It's a failed attempt at paying tribute to Hitchcock and the whole film noir genre. "Dead Again" proved that Branagh might be a master when it comes to bringing Shakespeare to the screen, but he has no idea what mainstream cinema is about.

Overlooked Branagh Gem

[stiv-7 · 8/10 · 14 January 2000]

I didn't catch this one until it hit a discount theatre in Miami Beach, but I'm glad I did. Whatever the status of Branagh and Thompson's relationship at the time, they project a fantastic chemistry as lovers karmically doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, or so we are led to believe. Branagh has a fantastic directorial sense, honed in his years with Shakespearian theatre, and the intertwining of black-and white and colour footage to evoke different time periods works to great effect. Supporting players Derek Jacobi, Robin Williams, and Andy Garcia put in excellent performances, and the serviceable plot is made transcendant by this fine group of actors. Although some of the gore is a bit heavy, it doesn't overwhelm the story, something Branagh learned no doubt from the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and like the works of Hitchcock, even after the mystery is finally sorted out, the film continues to reward with repeat viewings. So, if the last copy of Blair Witch is out, and you're looking for a bit of suspense that isn't all blood and guts, give this one a try. You'll feel enlightened.

Branagh's original, Hitchcockian, past life thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 June 2016]

Branagh's ambitious past-life thriller is very much a product of its time, and seen today it feels rather dated: there are cheesy haircuts and outfits galore. Plus, the viewer never really believes Branagh's American accent, which remains distracting throughout the movie. Yet DEAD AGAIN succeeds where other movies fail: it feels original for the most part, and it possesses enough inventiveness on the part of Branagh the director to make it a fairly engaging viewing experience. The film has many overblown moments where good ol' Ken emulates Hitchcock and the like, especially in the use of some silly slow-motion towards the end. But the black-and-white sequences set during the '40s are pretty good and, although fairly slow-paced, the film manages to retain the interest throughout.

The casting is also pretty decent; Branagh and Thompson are here teamed up again, and both of them are required to act in many different styles. Derek Jacobi, another regular, is excellent as the stuttering hypnotist, and God, doesn't he look creepy without the beard? There are other stars too who make an impact, from Robin Williams' foul-mouthed supermarket worker (grimy and paranoid) to Wayne Knight (JURASSIC PARK) as Branagh's buddy. One rather odd thing is the last twenty minutes of the film, which finishes up the mystery and drama side of the story after offering a nice twist, and becomes standard psycho-thriller territory, along the lines of THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and all the others that were popular at the time. The diverse range of elements and the passion put into this movie make it a standalone piece of cinema.

Once is more than enough.

[ags123 · 2/10 · 3 August 2008]

I really wanted to like this film. It has great credentials: a mystery story set in LA, elements of the supernatural, eminent cast. What a disappointment. The plot is convoluted, the acting is overwrought (Branagh and Thompson affecting fake American accents, Andy Garcia trying to be a hardboiled newspaper man with a smoking problem) and the whole thing is tedious and dull, despite attempts by the oppressive soundtrack to keep viewers awake. The plot twists fail to enliven this mess; they only add to the incredulity of it all. Some examples: what was the point of Campbell Scott's and Robin Williams' characters? Skip this one.