Hired to help locate a missing author, an insurance investigator discovers to his terror that the nightmarish events depicted in the writer’s best-selling horror novels are coming true.

Sam Neill plays a great part in John Trent, a seemingly normal insurance investigator, until his story really begins and everything starts to unravel. Lines are blurred, realities are questioned and nothing is as it seems.

In the Mouth of Madness left me with many questions that cleverly don’t get answered, and it’s testament to Michael De Luca’s writing that this film leaves behind more confusion than clarity. It’s one of those films that you should watch without knowing anything about it, as going in blind will really mess with your head. Avoid spoilers, too, if possible — you’ll thank yourself in the long run!

In the Mouth of Madness is a brilliant Carpenter film with impressive visuals and a refreshing plot. Cast performances stand out, effects are impressive and the ending is an absolute conundrum. Horror fans need to seek this one out if they haven’t done so already — it’s well worth a purchase!

In the Mouth of Madness arrived on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Bros who have preserved the film’s original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Contrast and black levels are both as they should be, and they make this 1080p presentation picture look the best it can. Colours are sharp and easily distinguished, and there’s little to no grain visible throughout.

This blu-ray boasts a 5.1 mix presented as a lossless DTS-HD MA. At times the dialogue is difficult to pick up, largely due to the background noise overwhelming everything else, but it isn’t too distracting.

Absolutely none.

In the Mouth of Madness seems to be one of John Carpenter’s lesser-known films, and it’s the closing chapter in his Apocalypse trilogy that began with The Thing and Prince of Darkness. It’s an unusual film, deliberately ambiguous and all-out crazy, but it’s one that I ultimately enjoyed.