Horror Cult Classic

When nightmares bite back at a boarding house, reality blurs with blood and fur.

MONGREL

Tormented visions of a beast…

1982 · 1h 28m · NR · Horror · IMDB TMDB

A youth (Terrence Evans) is terrorized by vicious nightmares that find him transformed into a bizarre weredog which kills people around town. When he wakes up, he is shocked to find out that the people who he killed in his dreams are actually dead.

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Quick Answer

What is Mongrel about?

Mongrel is a 1982 American horror film directed by Robert A. Burns about a boarding house tenant who begins to experience violent dreams after a deadly encounter with a vicious dog, only to find that his nightmares may be bleeding into reality.

Programmer's Pick

Mongrel is what happens when you cross a slasher with a psychodrama and let the fur fly. Robert A. Burns takes the classic ‘animals gone wild’ setup and stirs in enough dream logic and boarding house dysfunction to keep you second-guessing every bite.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Set in a ramshackle boarding house, Mongrel follows the chaos that erupts when a vicious dog, provoked by a cruel prank, attacks a tenant and is subsequently shot dead. The aftermath leaves a high-strung book editor rattled, as he becomes the target of the other residents’ taunts. Soon, his nights are plagued by disturbing dreams in which the dog returns with a vengeance and tenants begin turning up dead. As hallucination and waking life start to intertwine, uneasy questions about guilt, sanity, and the boundaries of reality gnaw away at the fragile peace of the house. Mongrel serves up canine carnage and slasher chills with a psychological twist.

Details & Specs

Director: Robert A. Burns
Writer: Robert A. Burns
Release: 1982
Runtime: 1h 28m
Country: United States of America
Language: English, Spanish
Genres: Horror

Why This Matters

This film is notable as the sole directorial effort of Robert A. Burns, who both wrote and directed it.

— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: Robert A. Burns Writer: Robert A. Burns

TE Terry Evans Jerry CM Catherine Molloy Sharon

Aldo Ray Bouchard

Mitch Pileggi Woody JM Jonathan M. Ingraffia Ike AT Andy Tiemann Ken JD John Dodson Toad

Rachel Winfree Turquoise DM Daniel Medina Leon SB St. Blaze Samuelson

Dennis Hill Cop 1 JD Janis Dickerson Cop 2 B Boofer Brute DH Don Hamilton Passer-by

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Why Cult

Boarding House Terrors

The claustrophobic setting of a boarding house packed with eccentric tenants adds layers of tension and paranoia.

Killer Dog Vengeance

A vicious dog’s attack and its shocking aftermath fuel both the horror and the mystery, blending animal mayhem with psychological dread.

Nightmare vs. Reality

Dreams and waking life collide as the protagonist’s violent nightmares begin to manifest gruesome consequences in the real world.

B-Movie Gore

Expect blood, chewed-up tenants, and plenty of practical effects in true B-horror fashion.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Dog provoked and shot after attack

Threat

Supernatural or psychological killer dog presence

Effect

Tenants are killed in gruesome attacks mirroring nightmares

Setting

Boarding house

Questions from the Vault

When was Mongrel released? +

Mongrel was released in 1982.

Who directed Mongrel? +

Mongrel was directed by Robert A. Burns.

How long is Mongrel? +

Mongrel has a runtime of 88 minutes.

What genre is Mongrel? +

Mongrel is a horror film.

How are the protagonist's dreams linked to the deaths at the boarding house? +

The protagonist experiences violent nightmares in which he transforms into a killer dog and attacks tenants, and upon waking, discovers that the people he killed in his dreams are actually dead.