The corruption of the government and military of Haiti during the Baby Doc years are documented along with the superstitions of the turning of the poorest citizens into zombies. For doctor Bill Pullman, it's a nightmare every where he does, and in his attempts to help those inflicted with the curse of becoming the undead, he becomes the targeted. It's a disturbing vision of a country cursed with extreme poverty, disease, corruption and rumored evil in the name of a certain kind of religion.

The story and direction by Wes Craven are tight and Pullman leads a sensational ensemble. You really feel for the agony of the Haitian citizens with no real possibility of hope, and for Pullman's doctor, his nightmares are often inflicted by the possibility that these dreams that could be reality. The curse follows Pullman back to the states where things continue to get worse. For Pullman, the terror seems to be far from over.

So while it is never actually said in descriptions of the film, this is a political analogy of Haiti at the time as well as a story of far beyond what you normally see in horror films. The monster is human and the tools are the various drugs and herbs used by those who follow this practice. In that sense, it makes it all the more scary because you can see how innocent people can be affected by this in real life if they are vulnerable to such beliefs. As a horror movie, it is a bit disappointing, and the narrative is often sketchy and twisted. But it is an interesting film nonetheless that shows the society often denied to movie audiences outside some very far-fetched films especially those made decades before.