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The Brood 1979

A brilliant but unconventional doctor pioneers a radical psychotherapy to help a pregnant patient struggling with intense emotional distress. His experimental methods involve a unique cloning process, but when grotesque creatures begin appearing, he realizes his treatment has unleashed a terrifying and uncontrollable force. As the doctor investigates, he must confront the horrifying consequences of his ambition and protect his family from the monstrous brood he inadvertently created.

A brilliant but unconventional doctor pioneers a radical psychotherapy to help a pregnant patient struggling with intense emotional distress. His experimental methods involve a unique cloning process, but when grotesque creatures begin appearing, he realizes his treatment has unleashed a terrifying and uncontrollable force. As the doctor investigates, he must confront the horrifying consequences of his ambition and protect his family from the monstrous brood he inadvertently created.

Does The Brood have end credit scenes?

No!

The Brood does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of The Brood

Explore the complete cast of The Brood, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for The Brood

See how The Brood is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where The Brood stands among top-rated movies in its genre.


Metacritic

63

Metascore

6.1

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

%

TOMATOMETER

review

0%

User Score

IMDb

6.8 /10

IMDb Rating

Take the Ultimate The Brood Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of The Brood with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


The Brood Quiz: Test your knowledge on the eerie and twisted world of 'The Brood' from 1979.

Who is the main character seeking to protect his daughter Candy?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for The Brood

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Read the complete plot summary of The Brood, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


At the Somafree Institute, Dr. Hal Raglan humiliates his patient, Mike, by stating, > “you’re just a weak person. You must have got that from your mother. It probably would have been better for you if you had been born a girl!” On a dimly lit stage, Raglan demands that Mike show his anger, revealing angry red blotches across his torso that leave the audience in shock. Raglan explains this phenomenon as psychoplasmics, which refers to the physical manifestation of one’s mental rage.

Meanwhile, Frank Carveth is picking up his nine-year-old daughter, Candy, from a ‘Private Guest Room’. Dressed in a red coat with fur trim, Candy’s back is discovered to have bruises and scratches during a bath. Frank immediately drives to the Somafree Institute to confront Raglan, demanding to see his wife, Nola, who has been committed there after experiencing a nervous breakdown. Raglan refuses to allow Frank to see Nola, claiming legal issues if he denies Nola a crucial part of her treatment. Frustrated, Frank seeks advice from his lawyer, Al Resnikoff, who informs him that Nola holds a stronger legal position because of her commitment. Determined, Frank takes Candy to her maternal grandmother, Juliana, who appears quite anxious.

Inside the institute, Raglan attempts to get information from Nola by pretending to be Candy. In response to her distress, he states, > “Mummies don’t hurt their own children.” Nola sobs that, indeed, they do, mentioning her own troubled childhood. Raglan encourages Nola to embrace her anger, saying, “Go all the way through it, right to the end.”

That evening, while investigating a noise in the kitchen, Juliana is attacked and killed by what appears to be a small child in a red hooded coat, leaving Candy as a quiet, horrified witness. The next morning, Frank learns of Juliana’s murder and is advised by police psychologist Dr. Birkin to guide Candy’s recollection of the event, as repressed memories can lead to breakdowns. Dr. Birkin warns him, “These things tend to express themselves in one way or another.”

Back at the institute, Raglan, posing as Candy’s father, stirs up anger in Nola, creating red welts on her forehead while they delve into her troubled emotions. At the airport, Frank meets Barton Kelly, Nola’s estranged father, who attends the funeral of his ex-wife. On the advice of Resnikoff, Frank contacts Jan Hartog, an ex-patient of Somafree seeking legal action against Raglan, who expresses his struggles with the treatment: “Raglan encourages my body to revolt against me. And it did. I have a small revolution on my hands and I’m not putting it down very successfully.”

Back at the institute, a distraught Barton confronts Raglan, demanding to see Nola. Simultaneously, Frank attends Candy’s school, where her teacher Ruth Mayer joins them for dinner. That night, as Barton finds himself alone, he is brutally murdered by the hooded creature, furthering the cycle of violence tied to Nola’s rage.

When Ruth innocently receives a phone call from Nola, her jealousy erupts into chaos. At the police station, Frank learns from the pathologist that the creature that attacked him perished because it “ran out of gas,” resembling nothing human with its peculiar features. Meanwhile, outside Nola’s room, Raglan deceives her with claims that Frank will leave her for Ruth.

Upon returning home, Frank finds Candy terrified after a nightmare and reassures her that the creature is dead. The following day, Raglan learns of Barton’s murder and prepares to evacuate all patients from the institute. Frank, discovering Mike as a fellow patient of Hartog’s, grows increasingly angry when Mike complains about being abandoned.

In class, Candy is taken captive by two small creatures who brutally attack Ruth, leading to a frantic search by Frank who arrives too late. As the horror unfolds at the institute, Nola becomes aware of her children’s growing threats.

In a heart-wrenching climax, Frank discovers the shocking truth about Nola, who has physically manifested her rage into the form of these Brood children, who do her sinister bidding whenever her anger is stirred. Raglan explains to Frank that to retrieve Candy, he must convince Nola to suppress her rage. Frank discovers Nola in a trance, revealing a grotesque external womb connected to her body that nurtures the Brood.

As Frank intervenes in Nola’s rage-fueled birth, the Brood awaken, launching a deadly assault on Raglan. In a moment of desperation, he strangles Nola to save Candy, severing the connection that animated the creature children. As silence descends upon the institute, Frank finds Candy trembling in fear, realizing with horror that her marks may signify a deeper connection to her mother’s rage. With a blank expression, Candy is driven home by Frank, unaware of the dark legacy she carries within.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for The Brood

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Watch official trailers, exclusive clips, cast interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from The Brood. Dive deeper into the making of the film, its standout moments, and key production insights.


Trailer

Cars Featured in The Brood

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Explore all cars featured in The Brood, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


Cadillac

1942

Series 61

Chevrolet

1975

Chevelle Malibu

Dodge

1973

Challenger

Ford

1976

F-Series

Ford

unknown

Honda

1973

Civic

MCI

1973

MC-8

Mercedes-Benz

1974

280 SE W116

Mercury

1972

Marquis

MG

1971

B

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


body horror1970schildbirthchild in jeopardychildhood traumaterminal illnesssecretchild kidnappingfearpsychiatristsupernatural creaturemurderchild abusehusband wife relationshipfather daughter relationshipmanifestationgoregirlstrangulationkiller childmutantpsychotherapysurprise endinghypnosisdomestic violencedeath of grandmotherintruderlymphosarcomahit on the headconstruction sitetulpahusband murders his wifenursing homerevengemother in law son in law relationshipfather in law son in law relationshipcorpsemysterious creaturepolice stationsuspicion of adulteryautopsychildrenalcoholismmental illnesskilled with a hammerlicking bloodbeaten to deathhiding under a bedkindergarten teacherpsychiatric clinic

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