---
title: "Dead Again"
year: 1991
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/dead-again"
fi1m_id: "dead-again"
imdb_id: "tt0101669"
tmdb_id: 11498
wikidata_id: "Q928693"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:15.415609+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dead Again (1991)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh · 1h 47m · MPA R · Mystery, Thriller, Romance

## Identity

Dead Again

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/dead-again
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** dead-again
- **IMDb ID:** tt0101669
- **TMDB ID:** 11498
- **Wikidata ID:** Q928693
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101669/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11498, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q928693

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 65 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Kenneth Branagh treats reincarnation as a reasonable excuse to turn the orchestra up

> *Dead Again* is an enjoyably extravagant romantic mystery, carried by Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson’s chemistry. The plotting asks for more indulgence than it earns, but the romance survives the complications.

## Synopsis

Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson take dual roles in a romantic mystery that moves between the 1940s and the present. Branagh plays Roman Strauss and Mike Church; Thompson plays Margaret Strauss and Grace. A murder links the two eras, while hypnosis raises the possibility that people can return in other lives and carry old attachments with them. As the mystery develops, the romance becomes bound up with questions about who these people were and what that means for them now. Andy Garcia appears, with Robin Williams as Cozy Carlisle.

## Review

*Dead Again* commits itself to murder, hypnosis and reincarnation with a seriousness that makes the extravagance more enjoyable. Kenneth Branagh directs as though there were nothing remotely embarrassing about asking a romance to stretch across different lives. We recommend it to anyone who likes a thriller with large feelings and little restraint, with a warning about Scott Frank’s tangled plotting. The film needs considerable indulgence, and the performances do much of the work of earning it.

Branagh plays Roman Strauss and Mike Church, while Emma Thompson plays Margaret Strauss and Grace. The double casting gives us plenty to consider, but the actors do not let the puzzle overwhelm their scenes together. They have a warmth that makes the attraction worth following for its own sake. That matters when reincarnation is involved: without some believable desire, the business of who these people might have been would be a rather dry exercise.

Matthew F. Leonetti’s cinematography separates the eras through black-and-white and colour, then finds visual similarities between them. We felt a small thrill at the shifts into black-and-white, because those similarities make the past seem uncomfortably close. The pictures make reincarnation seem plausible before the screenplay has finished explaining it. Branagh allows the black-and-white passages their theatricality, and Leonetti’s work makes that decision pay.

Production designer Tim Harvey gives the drama similarly exaggerated surroundings, occasionally to the point where the people have to compete with the décor. A little less would have helped. Patrick Doyle’s score is loud and emphatic, and its insistence helps make the romantic stakes felt. It can press too hard, but a discreet accompaniment would scarcely suit a film this willing to make a scene.

Peter E. Berger’s brisk editing keeps the shifts between eras lively and allows suspense to build without letting the mechanics entirely take over. The pace matters because there is plenty here that might invite an awkward question if left sitting for too long. For much of the running time, the next complication arrives while the previous one is still entertaining us. His cutting supplies much of the film’s nervous energy.

The trouble is that the screenplay’s implausibilities do not all become more persuasive through sheer enthusiasm. Some of the questions Frank raises remain annoyingly unclear, even allowing for a mystery’s right to keep us guessing. Branagh’s appetite for an emphatic effect can make this worse, giving another flourish more attention than a piece of reasoning deserves. A little more clarity would have helped the romance as well as the mystery.

This sort of romantic thriller would be in worse trouble if its lovers left us indifferent. Branagh and Thompson make us care enough to forgive quite a lot, although anyone expecting a rigorously worked-out mystery should be warned. At 107 minutes, it has the sense not to turn all this into a prolonged test of patience. Choose it for an evening when a love affair involving reincarnation sounds promising rather than like grounds for an early night.

*Fi1m score 78, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Dead Again an entertaining romantic mystery whose theatrical excess is a large part of its appeal. Praise centres on Kenneth Branagh’s exuberant direction, the chemistry between Branagh and Emma Thompson, and the use of colour and black-and-white to connect the film’s different eras. The favourable reviews enjoy its old-fashioned melodrama and elaborate flourishes, treating the story’s absurdities as a tolerable cost of the fun.

The spread is wide, however, and the same flourishes draw sharply different responses. Even sympathetic critics raise doubts about the convoluted plotting, unresolved questions and implausibilities, while Empire finds that the contemporary and 1940s elements never credibly fit together. Time Out goes further, rejecting the construction and lead performances, and finding the score and art direction overbearing. The central division is over how much narrative nonsense the film’s style and romantic chemistry can make enjoyable.

## Straight answers

**Is Dead Again worth watching?**

*Dead Again* is worth watching for anyone who likes a romantic thriller with large feelings and little restraint, and we scored it 78. Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson's warmth carries a plot about murder, hypnosis and reincarnation that asks for more indulgence than it earns. Anyone expecting a rigorously worked-out mystery should be warned.

**How long is Dead Again, and what is it rated?**

*Dead Again* runs 1h 47m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a mystery and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Dead Again in the US?**

*Dead Again* is streaming on The Roku Channel, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Dead Again, and is it suitable for children?**

*Dead Again* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not for children and is best kept to older teenagers and adults. The story turns on a murder linking the 1940s and the present, with hypnosis and reincarnation adding unease rather than gore, and Patrick Doyle's loud score makes the suspense felt. Treat it as a tense mystery rather than a horror film.

**How does Dead Again compare to Rebecca?**

*Dead Again* is the more extravagant film, while Alfred Hitchcock's [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) is the more controlled and the better of the two. Both build suspense from a troubled romance, but *Rebecca* draws its unease from insecurity and jealousy, where *Dead Again* turns the orchestra up and asks you to accept reincarnation. Choose *Rebecca* for precision, *Dead Again* for a more indulgent evening.

**What should I watch after Dead Again?**

After *Dead Again*, try [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) (1940, Fi1m 85): A troubled romance, an imposing house and suspense that grows from jealousy. Then [*A Matter of Life and Death*](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death) (1946, Fi1m 92): For another romance that takes an impossible premise seriously and earns it; and [*Phoenix*](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix) (2014, Fi1m 68): A mystery of identity whose romantic tension becomes steadily harder to bear.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): Ebert praises the film as a grand, theatrical romance-mystery in the vein of classic melodramas like Rebecca or Vertigo, suited for fans of bold gestures. He highlights Branagh's flair for direction and the effective use of dual roles by Branagh and Thompson. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-again-1991)
- **The AV Club**, Adam Nayman (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Branagh's florid, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink directorial style in this 1991 thriller as a refreshing contrast to kitchen-sink realism. He singles out the gender-flipped reincarnation twist and the romantic chemistry between Branagh and Thompson for particular note. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/love-and-reincarnation-kenneth-branagh-style-1798276491)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (80/100, inferred): The review notes Branagh brings zest and bravura style to this mystery-thriller of murder, hypnosis and reincarnation. It highlights the engaging film style buoyed by infectious fun, strong performances especially from Jacobi, and stylized black-and-white flashbacks. [Read](https://variety.com/1990/film/reviews/dead-again-2-1200428954/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Odie Henderson (75/100, inferred): The critic appreciates Branagh's gleefully fetishistic Hitchcockian homage and oversized dramatic flourishes in this reincarnation mystery. He singles out the bombastic score and visual parallels between the black-and-white and color sequences for praise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-91-kenneth-branaghs-dead-again/)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (75/100, inferred): Canby describes the film as a convoluted but entertaining romantic mystery melodrama that knowingly homages overripe 1940s Warner Bros.-style films. He notes its fun despite story absurdities and a somewhat commonplace ending. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/23/movies/review-film-branagh-s-dead-again-homage-to-40-s-fiction.html)
- **The New Yorker** (65/100, inferred): The review calls it an entertaining exercise in high-style inconsequentiality with a lovely frivolous and spooky mood, shuttling breezily between eras. It praises the giddiness and flair but notes the picture crashes down with unresolved enigmas and a failure to address implausibilities. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1991/09/09/1991-09-09-076-tny-cards-000146376)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (20/100, inferred): The film is an ambitious but spectacular failure that may become a camp cult classic. It fails to credibly blend its contemporary and 1940s reincarnation noir elements despite nods to classic filmmakers. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dead-review/)
- **Time Out**, GA (20/100, inferred): The review dismisses the film as a lame and incoherent romantic psychological thriller that makes no sense, with sloppy construction, clichés, and dreadful lead performances from Branagh and Thompson. It singles out the overbearing Hitchcockian score and OTT art direction as further distractions from the film's central premise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dead-again-1)
- **Eye for Film**, Gabriella Trybalska (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an enjoyable whodunit with an unexpected ending, praising Kenneth Branagh's direction for its beautiful use of color and black-and-white, fast editing, and mounting tension, as well as the wonderful chemistry between Branagh and Emma Thompson. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dead-again-film-review-by-gabriella-trybalska)

## Details

- **Director:** Kenneth Branagh
- **Director:** Kenneth Branagh
- **Writer:** Scott Frank
- **Cinematography:** Matthew F. Leonetti
- **Editor:** Peter E. Berger
- **Music:** Patrick Doyle
- **Production design:** Tim Harvey
- **Costume design:** Phyllis Dalton
- **Producer:** Charles H. Maguire, Lindsay Doran
- **Cast:** Kenneth Branagh as Roman Strauss / Mike Church; Andy Garcia as Gray Baker; Emma Thompson as Grace / Margaret Strauss; Lois Hall as Sister Constance; Richard Easton as Father Timothy; Jo Anderson as Sister Madeleine / Starlet; Patrick MontesDeOca as Pickup Driver; Raymond Cruz as Clerk
- **Runtime:** 1h 47m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 23 August 1991
- **Genres:** Mystery, Thriller, Romance
- **Budget:** $15 million
- **Box office:** $38 million

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Rebecca* (1940), Fi1m 85: A troubled romance, an imposing house and suspense that grows from jealousy. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rebecca.md)
- *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), Fi1m 92: For another romance that takes an impossible premise seriously and earns it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death.md)
- *Birth* (2004): Reincarnation troubles another romance, treated here with a much cooler composure.
- *Phoenix* (2014), Fi1m 68: A mystery of identity whose romantic tension becomes steadily harder to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix.md)
- *A Tale of Two Sisters* (2003): Elaborate gothic unease and family feeling, with considerably less room to laugh.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/dead-again