Travis Lytle’s review published on Letterboxd:
As much a sub-world fantasy as it is a horror film, Clive Barker's "Nightbreed" is an imaginative, well-rendered genre outing that replaces the dimension-drifting creatures of "Hellraiser" with a more human cabal of monstrosities. Though the film misses some narrative opportunities to be great, trading in story depth for adventure beats, it is a darkly entertaining piece of work.
Based on Barker's novel, "Cabal," "Nightbreed" focuses on Craig Sheffer's perhaps-mentally unstable protagonist who drifts between the world of humans and an underground kingdom of monsters and mutants. When the peace of both world's is shattered by a serial killer, men and monster must fight together to preserve their ways of life. It is a story that blends horror with themes of the outcast and, although it never reaches for true narrative weight, is competently engaging.
The film moves swiftly, communicating a serious tone and human poignance along with its horror jolts and chase scenes. Its characters are compelling, and its creatures are both frightening and fantastic. Moreover, the monsters of "Nightbreed" are rendered with skill and imagination. They evoke a sense of the human, the animal, and the magical.
"Nightbreed" is well-built, strikingly visualized, and excitingly told piece of horror. Its classic themes, solid cast, and brooding sensibility make for a film that it instantly engrossing and fully enjoyable. An underappreciated gem, the film has enough dark spirit, twisted appeal, and macabre fun to stand out.