The Beyond

The Beyond is a 1981 supernatural horror film written and directed by Lucio Fulci, an Italian master of macabre cinema. The movie is also known as The Seven Doors of Death and serves as a sequel to Fulci's previous film, The House by the Cemetery. It begins with a young American woman named Liza Merritt (played by Catriona MacColl), who inherits a sprawling, centuries-old hotel called the Macumba from her deceased husband. Liza moves to New Orleans to settle the estate but encounters resistance from a group of shady characters, including the sinister Dr. John McCabe (played by David Warbeck) and a series of bizarre and terrifying events that seem to center around the hotel. Unbeknownst to Liza, she is now the sole owner of an old, cursed building that holds a terrible secret: it was constructed above one of the seven entrances to Hell. As Liza settles into her new home, she starts experiencing supernatural occurrences that escalate into gruesome and inexplicable fatalities. Her niece, Emily, is the first victim to fall, succumbing to a brutal and eerie death at the hands of a series of ghostly apparitions. A series of seemingly unrelated and inexplicable events then unfold, all of which are inextricably linked to the hotel. Throughout the film, Liza grapples with her own sanity as the supernatural events escalate in violence and ferocity. With each gruesome death, she is forced to question what is real and what is happening to her psyche. The eerie and suspenseful atmosphere is heightened by the film's use of an array of grotesque and disturbing death scenes, all of which are characteristic of Fulci's signature style. As Liza delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the hotel, she discovers an old diary belonging to a mysterious figure named Emily's boyfriend. It becomes apparent that the Macumba, once a grand hotel of its day, was built on a site that was said to be one of the seven openings to the underworld of hell. An ancient cult had long ago discovered a portal to the underworld and deliberately built the hotel on top, thereby unleashing an unholy terror that has been festering beneath the town. The film reaches its climax as Liza, determined to confront her tormentors and lift the curse that holds the hotel, enters into a battle with the malevolent forces that have consumed her niece and other hotel guests. Armed with little more than her courage and a sense of determination, she confronts the ultimate evil head-on in what becomes a thrilling and terrifying sequence. The conclusion of the film takes a more surreal turn as Liza manages to confront her demons head-on, sacrificing herself in the process. Her actions trigger a chain reaction that causes the hotel's dark history to spill over into the streets of New Orleans, wreaking havoc as the spirits from below continue to manifest. The Beyond is a standout example of Lucio Fulci's bold and innovative filmmaking style. The movie is replete with its share of gruesome and disturbing death scenes, all of which are interwoven with themes of grief, loss, and redemption. This Italian masterpiece remains a cult classic for horror aficionados and has influenced a host of subsequent filmmakers to follow in Fulci's footsteps.