Villian(s)  Voodoo

Actor(s):  Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield

Brief Description  The Serpent and the Rainbow is a 1988 psychological horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Bill Pullman. Loosely inspired by the non-fiction book of the same name by ethnobotanist Wade Davis, the story steers away from modern flesh-eating flesh-monsters and goes back to the traditional, historical roots of voodoo zombification.

Plot:
In 1985, Harvard anthropologist Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) is hired by a major pharmaceutical corporation to travel to Haiti. His mission is to investigate a mysterious powder rumored to suspend human vital signs, making individuals appear clinically dead. The company hopes to synthesize this drug into a revolutionary new medical anesthetic. Upon arriving in Haiti amidst boiling political revolution and civil unrest, Alan teams up with local researcher Dr. Marielle Duchamp (Cathy Tyson). Together, they track down a man who allegedly died, was buried, and subsequently returned to life. However, as Alan penetrates deeper into the secrets of voodoo society, he catches the malicious attention of Dargent Peytraud (Zakes Mokae), the ruthless commander of Haiti's Tonton Macoute secret police. Alan's research quickly devolves into a waking nightmare of terrifying hallucinations, psychological torture, and dark magic.