MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Brain Damage

Brain Damage

1988 · 86 min

A grimy, funny, and unsettling descent into addiction, with a chatty parasite and gooey practical effects that make you squirm and laugh.

Directed by
Frank Henenlotter
Genres
Horror, Comedy, Science fiction
Starring
Rick Hearst, Gordon MacDonald, Jennifer Lowry
Tagline
It's a Headache from Hell.
Overview
Brian comes under the addictive spell of a parasite with the ability to induce euphoric hallucinations in its hosts.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Frank Henenlotter
Genres
Horror, Comedy, Science fiction
Starring
Rick Hearst, Gordon MacDonald, Jennifer Lowry
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • darkstrength 3 of 3
  • absurdstrength 2 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • campystrength 2 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • addiction
  • obsession
  • isolation
  • betrayal
  • guilt
Places
  • big city
  • home
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • single location
Content intensity
  • Gore strong
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror7
Humour6
Realism3
Romance2
Tension6
Darkness8
Complexity5
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like Brain Damage

Movie

Resident Evil

2026

A relentless, claustrophobic nightmare that rarely lets up, blending body horror with desperate survival.

Dark · about isolation and betrayal · single location

Via
  • dark
  • isolation
  • betrayal
  • single location
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
94 min
Details
Resident EvilHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Frankenhooker

1990

A gleefully tasteless, gory romp that plays its sleazy madness for laughs, leaving you amused and slightly appalled.

Same writer: Frank Henenlotter · Dark, absurd, brisk · about obsession · single location

Also
Same writer: Frank Henenlotter
Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
85 min
Details
FrankenhookerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Substance

2024

A grotesque, satirical body-horror that is visually extreme and psychologically brutal, blending dark comedy with visceral disgust.

Dark, absurd · about obsession · single location

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
142 min
Details
The SubstanceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Obsession

2025

A queasy, darkly funny cautionary tale that tightens its grip as romantic longing curdles into suffocating dread.

Dark, absurd, brisk · about obsession and guilt

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • guilt
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
109 min
Details
ObsessionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Bugonia

2025

A queasy, deadpan descent into obsession and absurdity, balancing torture and conspiracy with bone-dry comedy and sudden, shocking violence.

Dark, absurd · about obsession and isolation · single location

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • isolation
  • single location
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
119 min
Details
BugoniaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Basket Case

1982

A grimy, gleefully demented cult shocker that mixes cheap gore with deadpan comedy and a genuinely weird sibling bond.

Same director: Frank Henenlotter · Dark, absurd, brisk · about obsession and isolation

Also
Same director: Frank Henenlotter
Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • isolation
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
91 min
Details
Basket CaseHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Return of the Living Dead

1985

A gleefully gory, punk-infused rollercoaster that balances laughs with genuine scares and a bleakly ironic finale.

Dark, absurd, brisk · about isolation

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • isolation
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
91 min
Details
The Return of the Living DeadHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Colony

2026

A relentless, claustrophobic survival horror that keeps you tense and disturbed with its evolving infected and moral decay.

Dark · about isolation and betrayal · single location

Via
  • dark
  • isolation
  • betrayal
  • single location
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
123 min
Details
ColonyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Re-Animator

1985

A gleefully gory, darkly funny descent into mad science that balances shocks with campy excess and a wild, unforgettable climax.

Dark, absurd, brisk · about obsession · single location

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
86 min
Details
Re-AnimatorHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Slither

2006

A gleefully gross, funny creature-feature romp that keeps you laughing and squirming at the same time.

Dark, absurd, brisk · about isolation

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • isolation
Pacing
brisk
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
96 min
Details
SlitherHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Fly

1986

A tragic romance that curdles into visceral body horror, leaving you unsettled and heartbroken.

Dark · about obsession · single location

Via
  • dark
  • obsession
  • single location
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
96 min
Details
The FlyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

From Beyond

1986

A gooey, gleefully deranged descent into sensory overload, equal parts gross-out spectacle and hysterical dread.

Dark, absurd, brisk · about obsession · single location

Via
  • dark
  • absurd
  • obsession
  • single location
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
85 min
Details
From BeyondHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
horror, comedy, science fiction
Directed by
Frank Henenlotter
Written by
Frank Henenlotter
Starring
Rick Hearst, Gordon MacDonald, Jennifer Lowry, John Zacherle, Theo Barnes, Lucille Saint-Peter, Vicki Darnell, Joseph Gonzalez
Cinematography
Bruce Torbet
Runtime
86 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata