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Mystery Cult Classic

A clairvoyant's visions unravel deadly secrets in small-town America.

BLACK RAINBOW

1989 · 1h 43m · R · Mystery / Thriller

Martha Travis is a medium who makes contact with spirits "on the other side" and connects them with their loved ones still alive, in public performances. Trouble begins when she gives a message to Mary Kuron from her husband, Tom. But Tom isn't dead... yet. And Martha not only knows he will die, she also knows who killed him. And the murderer knows she knows...

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Vault Note

Proof that not all family businesses are meant to last—especially when the dead start talking.

Programmer's Pick

Mike Hodges blends small-town malaise with metaphysical menace, as Rosanna Arquette’s medium becomes a target for both skeptics and killers. With Jason Robards as her washed-up father and Tom Hulce as the dogged reporter, this thriller plays its supernatural hand with a sly sense of doom.

— SassyFlix Programmer
Quick Answer
What is Black Rainbow about?

Black Rainbow is a 1989 British mystery thriller directed by Mike Hodges about a medium, Martha Travis, whose psychic predictions entangle her in a series of murders after she foretells a whistleblower's death.

Synopsis

Rosanna Arquette stars as Martha Travis, a medium who hosts a touring clairvoyant show with her alcoholic father Walter (Jason Robards) where she helps members of the audience make contact with deceased relatives. At one meeting, she foretells the violent death of a local factory employee (Olek Krupa), a whistleblower who was set to reveal corporate malpractice at the plant, and soon becomes the target of the killer herself. At a subsequent meeting in the town, she appears to identify several other individuals who are set to die or be killed. A sceptical local journalist investigating the death, Gary Wallace (Tom Hulce), begins following the couple and the story. The story is told in flashback, with the opening scenes showing Wallace searching for the reclusive Martha many years after the events depicted in the main body of the film.
Details & Specs
Director
Mike Hodges
Writer
Mike Hodges
Release
1989
Runtime
1h 43m
Also Known As
Black Rainbow - Der Schwarze Regenbogen, Schwarzer Regenbogen

Why Cult

Psychic Predictions Gone Wrong

Martha Travis’s clairvoyant act takes a lethal turn when her visions accurately predict deaths—including ones that haven’t happened yet.

Corporate Whistleblower Mystery

A factory whistleblower’s murder sparks a twisting investigation into corporate wrongdoing and the cost of telling the truth.

Troubled Father-Daughter Duo

Rosanna Arquette and Jason Robards bring fractured family energy to the stage as a medium and her alcoholic father on the psychic circuit.

Skeptical Journalist in Pursuit

Tom Hulce’s reporter shadows Martha, questioning her abilities even as the body count rises and reality blurs.

Trailer

Questions from the Vault

What is Black Rainbow about? +

Black Rainbow centers on Martha Travis, a psychic medium whose predictions draw her into a dangerous web of murder and corporate secrets in a small American town.

Who directed Black Rainbow? +

Black Rainbow was directed by Mike Hodges.

How long is Black Rainbow? +

Black Rainbow has a runtime of 103 minutes.

What genre is Black Rainbow? +

Black Rainbow is a mystery thriller.

When was Black Rainbow released? +

Black Rainbow was released in 1989.