History YMMV / Nightbreed

* MoralEventHorizon: Eigermann crosses it by declaring war on the Nightbreed. He was always a sociopathic GloryHound with no concern for Decker's victims, but he really acted on his inner cruelty once he decided to take vigilante action and start killing the monsters indiscriminately, children included, going well beyond his duties as Captain, even going as far as shooting at a deserter who had second thoughts about the lynching.

* BrokenBase: While for the film itself the base is pretty strong. The broken part comes about mainly over the releases of the Director's Cut and Cabal Cut. These have been pretty harshly divided on whether the parties involved were doing Baphoment's work or were pandering to only part of the wider breed base.

* BrokenAesop: The "humans will persecute everything that's different just for being different" message would probably be more effective if the Midianites didn't also have an unquenchable desire to consume human flesh.

* Unintentiona;UncannyValley: Oddly enough, the more human-looking Midians (ie. the guy with the crescent-shaped head) are much creepier than the ones who look just plain demonic.

* UncannyValley: Oddly enough, the more human-looking Midians (ie. the guy with the crescent-shaped head) are much creepier than the ones who look just plain demonic.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The Nightbreed all have some sort of monstrous aspect to their appearance... except for Ohnaka, who just has tattoos. In 1988, tattoos were a lot "edgier" than in modern times, so someone with a few tattoos would look bizarre enough to fit in with monsters.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Humans have a shocking capacity for hatred, [[AndThatsTerrible and that is a Bad Thing]]. This is one of those Aesops that's perennially relevant...

* {{Anvilicious}}: Humans have a shocking capacity for hatred, [[AndThatsTerrible and that is a Bad Thing]]. This is one of those Aesops that's [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped perennially relevant]]...

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Dr. Decker, even those who aren't members of the Breed fandom have called him the clear highlight of the movie.

* CompleteMonster (the comics can be found [[YMMV/CliveBarkersNightBreed here]]:

* CompleteMonster:

** Creator/BoomStudios adaptation: [[SinisterMinister Reverend Ashberry]] turns out to be [[AdaptationalVillainy far darker]] than his portrayal in the film, even in light of his abrupt [[FaceHeelTurn turn to evil]]. While initially sympathetic to the Nightbreed and their persecution, he develops a [[FantasticRacism genocidal hatred]] for them when their god Baphomet scars him when he tried to reach out to the latter. In his secret past, Ashberry first murdered a hippie girl during a sexual encounter. Coming to the conclusion that it was God's will for him to cast sinners into Hell, Ashberry started a [[SerialKiller decades-long career]] in killing perceived sinners, mostly male and female prostitutes and the like. Arrested as a despondent drunk shortly before the film, after his scarring Ashberry started his new crusade by rounding up Berserkers to carry out his vengeance, disemboweling Boone and attempting to kill his pregnant girlfriend Lori. Failing to kill either of them, Ashberry returns in an attempt to wipe out the breed and their new home via suicide bombing them, with children in the vicinity.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The Nightbreed all have some sort of monstrous aspect to their appearance... except for Ohnaka, who just has tattoos. In 1988, tattoos were a lot "edgier" than in modern times, so someone with a few tattoos would look bizarre enough to fit in with monsters.

** The film is notable in that Clive Barker originally wrote ''Cabal'' while still in the closet - critics have noted Midian being a safe haven for the outcast Nightbreed being [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything incredibly similar to the real-life trend]] of gay men in the 70s and 80s holing up in gay-friendly enclaves like San Francisco, NYC, or gayborhoods like Chicago's Boystown or Fire Island. Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky would later publicly call the film the "the first truly gay horror fantasy epic".

** Dr. Philip Decker is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters far more evil than any of the actual monsters in the film]]. He masquerades as a [[PsychoPsychologist renowned psychologist]], but is actually a masked, bayonet-wielding SerialKiller who butchers families--including the children--women he comes across; and anyone else he can get his hands on. He sees himself as a Death-like figure on a mission to [[MisanthropeSupreme stop the continuation of mankind]]. After Decker's psychiatric patient Aaron Boone tells him his dreams of the Nightbreed civilization, he frames Aaron for his crimes and gets Aaron killed by the police. When he learns of Aaron's resurrection and the existence of the Tribes of the Moon, he tries to [[VanHelsingHateCrimes exterminate the civilization of magical creatures]] as the ultimate extension of his mission to cleanse the world.

** Dr. Philip Decker is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters far more evil than any of the actual monsters in the film are]]. He masquerades as a [[PsychoPsychologist renowned psychologist]], but is actually a {{ma|levolentMaskedMen}}sked, [[KnifeNut bayonet-wielding]] {{serial killer}} who butchers families (including [[WouldHurtAChild the children]]), women he comes across, and anyone else he can get his hands on. He sees himself as a Death-like figure on a mission to stop the continuation of mankind. After Decker’s psychiatric patient Aaron tells him his dreams of the Nightbreed civilization, he [[FrameUp frames Aaron]] for his crimes and gets Aaron killed by the police. When he learns of Aaron's resurrection and the existence of the Tribes of the Moon, he tries to exterminate the civilization of DarkIsNotEvil magical creatures as the ultimate extension of his mission to cleanse the world. A depraved and {{hypocrit|e}}ical KnightTemplar with an [[MisanthropeSupreme utter contempt for humans]] [[VanHelsingHateCrimes and Nightbreed]] alike, he earns the fear and disgust of everyone who's unlucky enough to see his true face.

* FanDisservice: The character of Shuna Sassi is a walking example of this both in-universe and to those who view the film.

* HoYay:

* CompleteMonster: Dr. Philip Decker is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters far more evil than any of the actual monsters in the film are]]. He masquerades as a [[PsychoPsychologist renowned psychologist]], but is actually a {{ma|levolentMaskedMen}}sked, [[KnifeNut bayonet-wielding]] {{serial killer}} who butchers families (including [[WouldHurtAChild the children]]), women he comes across, and anyone else he can get his hands on. He sees himself as a Death-like figure on a mission to stop the continuation of mankind. After Decker’s psychiatric patient Aaron tells him his dreams of the Nightbreed civilization, he [[FrameUp frames Aaron]] for his crimes and gets Aaron killed by the police. When he learns of Aaron's resurrection and the existence of the Tribes of the Moon, he tries to exterminate the civilization of DarkIsNotEvil magical creatures as the ultimate extension of his mission to cleanse the world. A depraved and {{hypocrit|e}}ical KnightTemplar with an [[MisanthropeSupreme utter contempt for humans]] [[VanHelsingHateCrimes and Nightbreed]] alike, he earns the fear and disgust of everyone who's unlucky enough to see his true face.

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Turns out Creator/DavidCronenberg is as good at acting in BodyHorror-filled monster flicks as he is at directing them.
* HilariousInHindsight: Shuna Sassi impales with her quills a soldier [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark named]] [[TheyKilledKennyAgain Kenny]].

* HoYay: Peloquin's... hunger for Boone carries a metric ton of DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything.

* UncannyValley: Oddly enough, the more human-looking Midians (ie. the guy with the crescent-shaped head) are much creepier than the ones who look just plain demonic.

* CultClassic: It's fallen under the radar compared to some of Creator/CliverBarker's more well-known efforts, but still has a devoted fanbase.

* CultClassic

* AwesomeMusic: None other than the fabulous Music/DannyElfman working at the top of his game.

* HeReallyCanAct: Turns out Creator/DavidCronenberg is as good at acting in BodyHorror-filled monster flicks as he is at directing them.

* CreepyAwesome: In a movie full of deformed monsters, Decker is the scariest character ''by far.''