10 Forgotten 90s Horror Movies You MUST Watch
3. Lord Of Illusions
Despite being a prolific writer and director, it's almost impossible to uncouple Clive Barker from his most famous work, Hellraiser. This is a shame since there was little fanfare for the Liverpudlian auteur's final film, Lord of Illusions.
In this neo-noir thriller, Detective Harry D'Amour, (Scott Bakula) stumbles upon a cult who intend to resurrect their leader, Nix (Daniel von Bargen).
Barker put a ton of work into the project, penning the original story, adapting the screenplay, producing the film, and directing it. And yet, Lord of Illusions received mixed reviews and barely made its money back. In hindsight, it's clear the initial reviews were too harsh, since the cerebral horror still holds up well, besides a couple of dated visuals.
The premise may be fantastical, but Lord of Illusions plays out like a dead-serious crime drama, which makes it more effective when the otherworldly elements come into play. Everyone plays their roles marvellously, especially von Bargen, who's delightfully sinister as Nix.
The director's cut is even better, with Barker himself saying the extra 12 minutes adds a lot of subtext and "the thematic guts of the movie".
Barker's film-making days might be over but Lord of Illusions proves he went out on a high.