Dead Again
Dead Again is a 1991 American neo-noir thriller film written by Scott Frank and directed by Kenneth Branagh in his directorial debut in the United States.[1][2] The story follows private investigator Mike Church (Branagh), who is hired to identify a mute amnesiac woman (Emma Thompson) and uncovers a connection to a 1949 murder case involving composer Roman Strauss (also Branagh) and his wife Margaret (Thompson), explored through hypnosis sessions that suggest themes of reincarnation.[1][2] Released on August 23, 1991, by Paramount Pictures, the film features a supporting cast including Derek Jacobi as the hypnotist Franklyn Madson, Andy Garcia as the 1940s detective Gray Baker, and Robin Williams in a cameo as a doctor.[1] Branagh's direction blends stylized black-and-white sequences for the 1940s flashbacks with color for the present-day narrative, drawing stylistic influences from film noir classics by Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles, while incorporating theatrical elements from his background in Shakespearean adaptations.[2] Critically, Dead Again received positive reviews for its intricate plot, strong performances—particularly the chemistry between Branagh and Thompson—and Branagh's assured handling of suspense and romance, earning an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 52 reviews.[1] Roger Ebert awarded it four out of four stars, praising its "old-fashioned" screenplay and the film's ability to weave grand themes of passion, murder, and redemption with wit and visual flair.[2] Commercially, it grossed $38 million at the U.S. box office against a $15 million budget, marking a successful entry for Branagh into Hollywood filmmaking.[3] It helped solidify Branagh and Thompson's on-screen partnership, following their real-life marriage in 1989.[2]Synopsis
Plot
In 1991 Los Angeles, private detective Mike Church, who was adopted and raised at a Catholic orphanage run by Father Timothy, is asked to investigate the identity of a mute, amnesiac woman who has appeared at the orphanage's gates, tormented by recurring nightmares of scissors, murder, and cries for help.[2] Naming her Grace due to her inability to communicate, Mike places ads in newspapers but yields no leads, prompting him to consult disgraced psychiatrist Dr. Cozy Carlisle for advice.[4] Carlisle directs him to Franklyn Madson, an antique dealer and amateur hypnotist specializing in past-life regression, who agrees to help despite his unorthodox methods.[2] Under Madson's hypnosis sessions, Grace begins experiencing vivid visions from 1949, revealing her apparent connection to the infamous Strauss murder case, depicted in black-and-white flashbacks contrasting the film's color present-day sequences.[4] In postwar Hollywood, renowned composer Roman Strauss, a German refugee who escaped the Nazis with help from his housekeeper Inga, marries Margaret Strauss, a talented English pianist he met while conducting her orchestra.[2] Their passionate union draws media attention from journalist Gray Baker, who covers their wedding, but strains emerge: Roman grows jealous of Gray's flirtatious rapport with Margaret, while Margaret suspects Inga and her awkward young son Frankie of pilfering household items, including a valuable anklet Roman gifted her.[4] The 1949 narrative escalates during Roman and Margaret's stormy marriage, culminating in Margaret's brutal stabbing death with a pair of ornate scissors in their home; Roman discovers the body, touches the weapon in shock, and is swiftly arrested amid sensational headlines.[2] At his highly publicized trial, Roman is convicted of the murder despite proclaiming his innocence, leading to his execution in the electric chair, where his final thoughts reflect on his love for Margaret.[4] The anklet vanishes, presumed stolen, adding to the mystery of the crime.[2] Back in 1991, Grace's regressions restore her speech but intensify her terror, as she becomes convinced Mike is Roman's reincarnation, fated to kill her just as in the past; she notices Mike's physical resemblance to Roman and flees his protection temporarily.[4] Mike persists in his search, learning Grace's true name is Amanda and discovering her apartment adorned with obsessive scissor imagery from her dreams; a suspicious man posing as her fiancé attempts to abduct her, but Mike intervenes and exposes the fraud.[2] Pressured by escalating threats and Grace's deteriorating mental state, Mike submits to hypnosis himself, uncovering fragmented memories that invert the presumed reincarnations: Mike is Margaret's soul reborn, and Grace is Roman's.[4] The sessions expose the 1949 conspiracy: Frankie, driven by twisted jealousy after witnessing Margaret embrace Gray, murdered her with the scissors, stole the anklet to fund his future, and manipulated the scene to frame Roman, with Inga's complicity in covering up her son's actions.[2] In the present, the adult Frankie—now the manipulative Franklyn Madson—has been engineering Grace's discovery and hypnosis to suppress the resurfacing truth, recognizing the pair as the reincarnated Strausses and fearing they will unravel his past crime.[4] Madson possesses the stolen anklet, which Mike later obtains from Inga; Mike lures Mike and Grace to an abandoned foundry under pretense, intending to silence them permanently.[2] In the climactic confrontation, Madson reveals his identity as Frankie and attacks, but Grace, still disoriented by visions, shoots Mike in confusion, believing him to be Roman.[4] Mike survives, using the anklet to prove his true past-life identity to Grace, who realizes Madson is the real killer.[2] As Madson lunges with a massive pair of scissors, he is fatally impaled on a metal sculpture in the struggle, ending the cycle of violence.[4] With their memories restored and identities affirmed, Mike and Grace reconcile, embracing a renewed life free from the shadows of their shared past.[2]Cast
The cast of Dead Again features a prominent ensemble that effectively bridges the film's dual timelines through layered performances, with lead actors portraying characters across both the present-day mystery and the 1940s noir flashback. Kenneth Branagh stars in the dual role of Mike Church, a private investigator in the contemporary setting who uncovers clues to an amnesiac woman's past, and Roman Strauss, a renowned composer accused of murder in the 1940s.[5] Emma Thompson also takes on dual roles as Grace, the enigmatic amnesiac woman in the present whose identity ties into the historical events, and Margaret Strauss, Roman's wife and the victim in the past timeline.[5]| Actor | Role(s) | Character Function |
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Branagh | Mike Church / Roman Strauss | Present-day investigator / 1940s composer and accused murderer |
| Emma Thompson | Grace / Margaret Strauss | Amnesiac woman in present / Victim in 1940s marriage |
| Andy García | Gray Baker | Journalist covering the Strauss wedding and trial in the 1940s |
| Derek Jacobi | Franklyn Madson | Antiques dealer and hypnotist aiding the present investigation |
| Hanna Schygulla | Inga | Housekeeper in the Strauss household during the 1940s |
| Wayne Knight | Pete Dugan ('Piccolo' Pete) | Coroner and friend providing forensic insights in the present |
| Robin Williams | Dr. Cozy Carlisle | Disgraced psychiatrist consulted for psychological evaluation |
| Campbell Scott | Doug Helland | Assistant to the hypnotist in the present timeline |