← Back to explore

Black Rainbow

1989 · Movie · R · 102 min · ★ 5.8

HorrorThriller

Mike Hodges ('Flash Gordon', 'Get Carter') wrote and directed this supernatural chiller as a meditation on the human race's ability to destroy the world, a gothic tale of suspense and the occult, guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. Martha Travis (Rosanna Arquette, 'Pulp Fiction', 'Crash') is a travelling clairvoyant on the road with her sceptic father (Jason Robards, 'Once Upon a Time in the West', 'Magnolia'). During a séance Martha communicates a message from a dead man to his wife in the audience. Shocked the wife insists her husband is still alive. Later that evening the husband is killed by a ruthless assassin. As Martha foresees more and more tragic events journalist Gary Wallace (Tom Hulce, 'Amadeus', 'Animal House') follows the pair in pursuit of a hot story... with catastrophically eerie results. Sent direct-to-video by its struggling distributor on initial release, 'Black Rainbow' unfairly never got the exposure it deserved, newly restored from the original negative audiences can now discover the darkness at the end of the rainbow, as never before.

Where to watch

Streaming on BFI Player Classics.

2 hours to watch.

Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.

unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.

More value for your money

Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.

Details
Years
1989
Release date
1989-12-05
Language
English
Rated
R
Runtime
102 min
TMDB rating
5.8/10 (47 votes)
Budget
$7,000,000

Themes

  • father daughter relationship

Awards & recognition

  • Sitges Film Festival Best Actress award · 1989
  • Sitges Film Festival Best Screenplay award · 1989

Cast & crew

Directed by Mike Hodges