In the Mouth of Madness

"Lived any good books lately?"

1995 1h 35m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 2,024

HorrorMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An insurance investigator visits a small town while looking into the strange disappearance of a popular horror novelist. He soon finds that the impact of the author’s books is far more than inspirational.

“Lived any good books lately?”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Howdy Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Sam Neill
John Trent
Julie Carmen
Linda Styles
Jürgen Prochnow
Sutter Cane
David Warner
Dr. Wrenn
John Glover
Saperstein
Bernie Casey
Robinson
Peter Jason
Mr. Paul
Charlton Heston
Jackson Harglow

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Carpenter
Writers: Michael De Luca
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Carpenter, shot by Gary B. Kibbe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Carpenter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward A. Warschilka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Sam Neill and Julie Carmen and Jürgen Prochnow carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Lived any good books lately?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0113409 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Carpenter directs. Gary B. Kibbe behind the camera. John Carpenter scores. Edward A. Warschilka cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

131 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by John Carpenter, shot by Gary B. Kibbe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Carpenter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Edward A. Warschilka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Sam Neill and Julie Carmen and Jürgen Prochnow carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Lived any good books lately?".
7IMDB entry: tt0113409 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 20 themes, including "small town", "insanity", "paranoia", "diner".
9Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gary B. Kibbe
Original score: John Carpenter
Editing: Edward A. Warschilka
Production design: Jeff Ginn
Costume design: Robin Michel Bush
Makeup / hair: Donald Mowat
Sound: Ken S. Polk
Stunt coordinator: Jeff Imada
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,000,000
Box office: $8,946,600
Return: 112% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

Also by

John Carpenter

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

tmdb476334912018-04-07
★ 7/10
All things considered, Carpenter's absolute peak. He's always shuffled between 3 modes, often within the same movie: campy, spooky, and horrific. But this is the first time he didn't shatter the test tubes. Don't expect a true-to-the-source Lovecraft movie; this one's pure Carpenter. Watch it with the volume LOUD. "I think, therefore you are."
Sierbahnn2026-06-16
★ 8/10
This is Lovecraftian horror done right. There are too many movies that try for Lovecraft material without understanding what it is about, and it bottoms out pretty quickly. This movie gets it, and follows through. It has solid scares, fantastic production and a great cast. It is just a solid horror-pick for any movienight, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.