The Ninth Configuration (1980)

Directed by

William Peter Blatty

Genre

comedy horror

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 58m

Rated

R

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 170 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The film is set at a remote Gothic castle used as a military psychiatric hospital for troubled soldiers. A new psychiatrist arrives to treat an astronaut who has lost his nerve before a mission. The story shifts from absurd comedic exchanges among the patients into a more serious examination of faith, sanity, and sacrifice.

surrealdarkly comicunsettlingcerebralslow-burntragicomicphilosophicaltensedreamlike

What happens

The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane) is a 1980 American surrealist psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. It is the second installment in Blatty's "Trilogy of Faith" after The Exorcist (1973), and followed by The Exorcist III (1990). The film is based on Blatty's 1978 novel The Ninth Configuration, which was itself a reworking of his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane!. The first half of the film has the predominant tone and style of a comic farce. In the second half, the film becomes darker as it delves deeper into its central issues of human suffering, sacrifice and faith. The film also frequently blurs the line between the sane and insane. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was recognized with the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and two other nominations at the 38th Golden Globe Awards. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• The Shining (1980)
• The Lathe of Heaven (1980)
• Altered States (1980)
• The Attic (1980)
• Spellbound (1945)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
• Witches' Brew (1980)
• Shutter Island (2010)