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The Dead Center 2019

As a psychiatrist delves into the psyche of an enigmatic patient with amnesia, his own grip on reality begins to slip. The patient's chilling insistence that he has returned from beyond the grave sparks a desperate quest for truth, plunging both men into a heart-pumping game of cat and mouse.

As a psychiatrist delves into the psyche of an enigmatic patient with amnesia, his own grip on reality begins to slip. The patient's chilling insistence that he has returned from beyond the grave sparks a desperate quest for truth, plunging both men into a heart-pumping game of cat and mouse.

Does The Dead Center have end credit scenes?

No!

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

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of The Dead Center

Explore the complete cast of The Dead Center, 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 Dead Center

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


Metacritic

63

Metascore

6.0

User Score

Rotten Tomatoes
review

94%

TOMATOMETER

review

45%

User Score

IMDb

5.8 /10

IMDb Rating

TMDB

57

%

User Score

Letterboxd

3.0

From 2 fan ratings

Movie Insider

2.33/5

From 3 fan ratings

Take the Ultimate The Dead Center Movie Quiz

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The Dead Center Quiz: Test your knowledge on the 2019 psychological horror film 'The Dead Center'.

What happens to the body of John Doe after arriving at the morgue?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for The Dead Center

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Read the complete plot summary of The Dead Center, 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.


An unidentified male corpse is transported to a hospital morgue after dying in an ambulance, suspected to have committed suicide. This man, who is referred to as John Doe, unexpectedly revives and stumbles out of the morgue, seeking refuge in an adjacent hospital room where he collapses into sleep.

Dr. Edward Graham, a diligent medical investigator, is summoned to the morgue only to discover that the body that was brought in the previous night has inexplicably vanished. The mystery deepens when nurses encounter John Doe the following morning in a catatonic state, his body marred with numerous scars.

In response to the unusual occurrence, Dr. Daniel Forrester, a psychologist at the hospital, is called to evaluate John Doe. With an air of misleading authority, he informs the nurse Travis that this catatonic patient is making self-harm threats, thus enabling Forrester to admit him under a 5150 hold. Meanwhile, Graham investigates John Doe’s autopsy images, spotting a uniquely shaped spiral scar that piques his curiosity.

As events unfold at the hospital, Travis checks on John Doe and is suddenly met with an unexpected attack when John Doe’s face twitches. Forrester intervenes, managing to calm him down and administer a dose of benzodiazepine.

Later that evening, after moving John Doe into a seclusion room, Travis wrestles with paperwork but is interrupted as the lights flicker and go out, along with the security camera feed. Struggling to breathe and experiencing terrifying hallucinations of screaming faces, he exits the room. Simultaneously, John Doe endures the same horrific visions, suggesting a deep, unsettling connection between the two.

Graham investigates the motel where John Doe’s suicide occurred and discovers a similar spiral pattern carved into the bathtub floor, alongside a driver’s license that has been marked over with black ink. Through his investigation, he learns from the license that John Doe is Michael Clark. He also examines a suicide note inscribed with the chilling words, “I am the mouth of death. None are beyond my REACH. Forgive me,” prompting him to visit Clark’s family.

In another intense scene at the hospital, Forrester successfully hypnotizes Clark, who reveals harrowing details of his past. He confides that a malevolent force, born from a fire that nearly claimed his life, now resides within him—something dark and insatiable. As he recalls his gruesome attempts to rid himself of this entity through self-mutilation, he ultimately acknowledges that he inadvertently made it stronger. During this vulnerable moment, he claims that the dark entity compels him to commit terrible atrocities, leaving him helpless as he drifts back into catatonia. Tragically, Travis is later found dead.

The following night, Clark manages to break free from his restraints and brutally attacks another patient, drawing a shadowy smoke from her mouth. When morning comes, the lifeless body of the patient is discovered, her face frozen in a grotesque expression echoing the other victims.

Graham, determined to uncover the truth, visits Clark’s home and learns about the tragic fire that claimed his wife’s life. Strangely, Clark survived, raising questions about the nature of his existence. Amidst his discoveries, he stumbles upon a sinister collage of images related to mass death events, many displaying frozen visages eerily similar to those of the deceased in the hospital. In the basement, he finds a large, ominous black circular stain on the floor, signifying the dark mystery enveloping Clark.

In an effort to probe deeper, Forrester administers sodium thiopental to interrogate Clark once more. In his altered state, Clark confesses that the entity within him is growing stronger, threatening to obliterate him. Desperately, he orders Forrester to end his suffering, culminating in a chaotic struggle where Clark’s darkness attempts to pull the very essence from Forrester’s being through hallucinations of his past victims. This horrifying spectacle is halted when hospital staff intervene, and Dr. Sarah Grey reprimands Forrester for his reckless handling of the situation.

After this confrontation, Forrester becomes a danger to himself, lunging at Clark but is subdued and sedated. Meanwhile, Clark’s malevolence emerges once again, this time attacking Dr. Grey, putting her in a perilous state akin to that of his previous victims. Racing against time, Graham searches the hospital for Clark, but unfortunately, he discovers that Clark has escaped before he can intervene.

Waking up handcuffed to a bed, Forrester manages to break free and strives to find Dr. Grey, but it’s too late; she succumbs to her injuries. Fueled by despair, he steals a document revealing Clark’s parents’ address, determined to stop the madness.

Upon arriving at Clark’s family home, Forrester is met with horror—Clark has slaughtered not only his parents but his own children along with Graham. Armed with a crowbar, Forrester dolls out shaped vengeance as he searches neighboring homes that Clark has terrorized.

An eerie house at the end of the street flickers with lights, guiding Forrester toward Clark’s current location. In a fierce confrontation, he attacks Clark, only to be overpowered and subjected to the choking black smoke. As visions of screaming faces once again invade his mind, he recognizes the nightmare symbol from the basement floor pattern. At that moment, he regains control, fighting back against Clark, ultimately overpowering him in a fatal showdown with the crowbar.

The film concludes with a chilling image of Forrester in the back of an ambulance, rendered mute, attended to by EMTs. Dark lines stretch from the corners of his mouth, hinting at the horrifying transformation that is now taking hold of him.

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

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for The Dead Center

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


THE DEAD CENTER trailer | 2018 LA Film Festival - Sept 20-28

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.


psychiatristpsychiatric patientreanimated corpseback from the deadfailed suicidepossessionpossessed by evilmorguepossessed manunkillable villainconversation

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