Wade Davis, whose non-fiction book of the same name severed as inspiration to the film, originally sold the rights on the condition that Peter Weir (The Truman Show) would direct and Mel Gibson would star. That didn't happen, obviously, but Wes Craven and Bill Pulman did a great job with the film, a voodoo/zombie/psychological horror movie. It was a change of pace for Craven, who didn't want to be pigeon-holed as a 'slasher' filmmaker. He does, however, shine brightest when directing the hallucinatory dream sequences of Pullman's character, some of which are genuinely very frightening indeed. Craven is more measured here than he is in his other, gutsier films, but that's not a criticism; he pays more attention to the story and the feel of the film, rather than relying on effects and set-pieces. It is rarely dull.
