Dr. Phibes Rises Again(1972)
1972 · Robert Fuest · 89 min
The eminent Dr. Phibes awakens from a decade of suspended animation and heads to Egypt with the corpse of his dead wife, which he intends to resurrect by murdering people in strange and heinous ways.
Comedy · Horror
6.3162 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Dr. Phibes Rises Again scares
The story moves in a steady procession of elaborate murder set-pieces strung together by a quest plot, more like a macabre parade than a scary buildup. Each death is staged like a twisted magic trick, with style and dark humor taking the place of real tension or dread. The murders are inventive and sometimes gruesome, but the mood stays playful and theatrical rather than frightening. This is horror as camp spectacle, aimed at people who want gothic style and dark jokes rather than genuine fear.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Dr. Phibes Rises Again rates psychological 2/5, visceral 2/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 15 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 35 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 10 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A campy, theatrical romp with stylish murder set-pieces spaced between lighter, quirkier stretches, building to a flashier finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3.
How scary is Dr. Phibes Rises Again?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Dr. Phibes Rises Again rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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