Beyond the Black Rainbow

Name: Beyond the Black Rainbow
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller
Released: May 18, 2012
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 49
Cast: Eva Allan, Michael Rogers

2012

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Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Ratings

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Beyond The Black Rainbow

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnet Releasing | Release Date: May 18, 2012 | R

Starring: Eva Allan, Michael Rogers

Summary: Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of the year 1983, Beyond The Black Rainbow is a Reagan-era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons. (Magnet Releasing)

Director: Panos Cosmatos

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Simon Abrams

May 15, 2012

Something like a trippy grindhouse homage whose familiar images are refracted through a prism of blacklight posters, Jodorowsky films, and even Rob Zombie's grungy psychotropic sensibility. Read full review

Alison Willmore

May 16, 2012

Beyond The Black Rainbow is more surface than substance, but those surfaces are gleamingly polished enough to make for a hypnotic experiment that goes beyond genre pastiche or art-school wankery to seem formally daring. Read full review

Mark Holcomb

May 15, 2012

At heart, the film is no more (or less) than a brilliantly executed lark, but it's not often that we're reminded with such potency that movies are most delightful as sensory experiences. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

May 18, 2012

Unless you're among those who still drop acid as a midnight-movie apéritif, your enjoyment of this retro oddity remains far from guaranteed. Read full review

Boxoffice Magazine Inkoo Kang

Jul 1, 2012

Beyond the Black Rainbow is the kind of movie whose cool-looking trailer entices you to midnight screenings, but the film will bore you so profoundly you'll fall asleep halfway and wake up disoriented during the closing credits. Read full review

Mark Feeney

Jun 7, 2012

Beyond the Black Rainbow has a doomy, dreamy, druggy, draggy feel that's impressively sustained - until it becomes oppressive, then pointless, then laughable. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

May 18, 2012

His late father directed "Rambo: First Blood,'' but Panos Cosmatos' debut feature couldn't be more different - this would-be cult classic is the movie equivalent of gazing at a lava lamp for nearly two hours. Read full review

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User Reviews

MonsieurHenry

Feb 6, 2014

Beyond the Black Rainbow is admittedly a niche film, for those who love atmospheric, psychedelic film, this homage to '80s Sci-fi Thrillers is absolutely a must watch. The visual experience is breathtaking, as is the admirable and expert use of practical special effects. The plot is notBeyond the Black Rainbow is admittedly a niche film, for those who love atmospheric, psychedelic film, this homage to '80s Sci-fi Thrillers is absolutely a must watch. The visual experience is breathtaking, as is the admirable and expert use of practical special effects. The plot is not particularly complicated or dense, but it is also not a Superhero movie. This is a film that demands a modicum of your attention as it plays out in order to follow the action, although the viewer is fully rewarded with simultaneously astringent and lush cinematography and an oppressive yet delightfully nostalgic soundtrack, which references 80's Sci-fi scores with canny agility. Detractors would argue that it is purely visual, to which I would say it is purely sensate. There is a critical difference between the two, with the latter seeking to be emotionally evocative and the latter seeking to be titillating. Beyond the Black Rainbow does not stoop so low as to merely try to arouse or frighten. The film relies on its visual aesthetic to convey much of its emotional content, and does so very well. Beyond the Black Rainbow is on the fast track to becoming a cult-classic, and I can't recommend it more highly.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

Axebrossia

Jul 19, 2014

from the beginning is boring as hell!! but ok the visual is a great orgasm and the music too, great sensitive and art movie but poor history. beyond black the rainbow have much potential but lack of construction.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

RobertBrogan

Sep 28, 2015

Beyond the Black Rainbow is a B-movie with great visual style and synth scoring. I wanted to rate it up for those alone, but still it is a B-movie and it shows. The film lacks in plot and acting. My advice is to watch the trailer and if it is something you'd like to look at and listen toBeyond the Black Rainbow is a B-movie with great visual style and synth scoring. I wanted to rate it up for those alone, but still it is a B-movie and it shows. The film lacks in plot and acting. My advice is to watch the trailer and if it is something you'd like to look at and listen to then queue up the movie, but do so without expectation that you will get something of cinematic substance.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

WhiskeyStories

Oct 24, 2018

A gorgeous and unique, yet abstruse and overindulgant film. If you loooove experimental arthouse/psychedelic cinema and have the patience of Job, you'll adore it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Kraven101

Jun 25, 2017

I tried to like Beyond the Black Rainbow, I really did, and I tried to pay attention, I really did, but without a clear narrative, I started to lose focus a little over an hour through and think, "Is it over yet?"

I always struggle with films like this. It's a brave choice to make a filmI tried to like Beyond the Black Rainbow, I really did, and I tried to pay attention, I really did, but without a clear narrative, I started to lose focus a little over an hour through and think, "Is it over yet?"

I always struggle with films like this. It's a brave choice to make a film without a clear narrative, and sometimes it works--based on the strength of the other elements, including characters/acting, effects/visuals/cinematography, and music. It seems to me that it's usually a 50/50 split as to the effectiveness of this sort of film.

It's difficult to latch onto or empathize with any of these characters. Elena is the most sympathetic character by far, but even she doesn't really get interesting until the latter third of the film. Dr. Nyle is creepy, but that's pretty much as deep as his character development ever gets, with the examinations of his personal backstory and personal abnormalities seemingly there only to add more layers of creepiness atop the rest. That said, the acting is excellent, with Michael Rogers' Barry Nyle being the standout. Eva Allen as Elena isn't, unfortunately, given much to do until the last half hour or so, but what we see from her is compelling. Other characters are practically furniture in terms of their screen time and impact on the plot, though Scott Hylands' Mercutio Arboria immediately hooked me within the opening minutes.

Let's get this second part out of the way quickly: The film is gorgeous. There's a reason other reviewers have likened this to 2001: A Space Odyssey--like Stanley Kubrick, Panos Cosmatos has a clear understanding of how to make compelling, surreal, beautiful visuals. Kubrick's surreality is more specific in terms of its purpose, though, than that of Cosmatos, which, much like the layers of creepiness that are a thin attempt at fleshing out Nyle, seem like a thin attempt to make the film more "cerebral." Again, sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. The visuals and effects here are cool and the cinematography is impressive, but it doesn't tell any clearer a story than the narrative.

As for the music, well...this is a rocking soundtrack. Seriously, it's the only thing that kept me watching the last half hour instead of turning it off. Props to Jeremy Schmidt for the John Carpenter-Tangerine Dream-György Ligeti-soaked score, which I will be purchasing and adding to my collection.

It's a shame, then, that despite the other elements all being so impressive, that the film is not any more cohesive. This falls squarely on the shoulders of its poor narrative focus. It would have been better as a short film, perhaps under an hour, to create a more streamlined product. I have no problem with "deep" movies, but there comes a point when "deep" becomes "inscrutable", when the plot and the point are buried so "deep" that it's almost impossible to understand.

It's flawed, but worth at least a partial watch, and I'll definitely be looking forward to Panos Cosmatos' upcoming works.

Overall, it's a five out of ten. Rent the movie. Buy the score.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ZaganEDF

Nov 16, 2020

The music was cool. Visuals good. But the movie is painfully slow and boring with minimum plot. Need to watch the second time to catch some elements but I don't want to subject myself to this dull hell again.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

rocketpackpanda

Jan 18, 2013

The film looks magnificent. That is about the only good thing one can say about this film. The gorgeous cinematography is wasted here as the film simply becomes a meaningless montage off weird images for the sake of weirdness. The actors look like they aren't sure of what they're supposed toThe film looks magnificent. That is about the only good thing one can say about this film. The gorgeous cinematography is wasted here as the film simply becomes a meaningless montage off weird images for the sake of weirdness. The actors look like they aren't sure of what they're supposed to be feeling. Frankly I dont blame them, the micro-direction, the ridiculously obtuse-for-no-reason script, the seeming randomness off it all makes for one big **** of a film. The music, could have been great, but the excellent theme music is cut out for a grating hum by the end off it all. It bombards you over the head with all the subtlety of an atom bomb. The film has no point, no meaning, nothing of anything except pretty images really. Even art house directors or Jowordosky have some meaning to their work. This is a brain hammering montage of as many weird things as the director can throw in. And the ending? One of the worst endings in film. It has no conclusion, no rumination it just ends in the middle as if the director/writer ran out of ideas. Save your time and go watch Enter the Void instead if you want to see what a modern mind bender of a film is.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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