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Drama Cult Classic

Radical therapy turns deadly when patients confront their deepest fears on the big screen.

PHOBIA

1980 · 01:34:00 · R · Drama / Horror / Thriller

Psychiatrist Dr. Peter Ross (Glaser) M.D., is using radical techniques on his patients to cure them of their various phobias. He becomes terrified when someone starts murdering the subjects one at a time. 

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Quick Answer
What is Phobia about?

Phobia is a 1980 Canadian drama, horror, and thriller film directed by John Huston about a psychiatrist whose radical treatment for phobias leads to lethal consequences when his patients begin dying by their own greatest fears.

Synopsis

A psychiatrist treats his patients - sufferers from agoraphobia, claustrophobia, acrophobia, a fear of snakes, and a fear of man - with radical therapy in which they confront their fears by watching them on a large screen. The result is that each patient is driven to commit violent acts, and each dies by what he most fears.
Details & Specs
Director
John Huston
Writers
Gary Sherman, Ronald Shusett, Lew Lehman, Jimmy Sangster
Release
1980
Runtime
1h 34m

The SassyFlix Take

John Huston takes a detour into psychological horror with Phobia, where therapy sessions are more hazardous than helpful. Paul Michael Glaser's Dr. Ross pushes his patients with a big-screen dose of terror, but it's the bodies piling up that really steal the show. This is therapy with a fatal twist, courtesy of a director who usually knows better.
From the Vault

Therapy sessions were never this fatal in Freud’s day.

Why Cult

Psychiatric Nightmares

Patients face their phobias head-on with experimental treatments, but their sessions spiral into lethal territory.

Unusual Therapy Methods

Watching your worst fears on a giant screen is the doctor's prescription, but the cure might be deadlier than the disease.

John Huston Horror

Legendary director John Huston swaps Hollywood prestige for psychological chills in this rare genre entry.

Phobic Killings

Each patient meets their end via the very thing they fear most—agoraphobia, claustrophobia, snakes, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Phobia about? +

Phobia is about a psychiatrist treating his patients' deepest fears with radical therapy, only for them to start dying in ways tied to their own phobias.

Who directed Phobia? +

Phobia was directed by John Huston.

How long is Phobia? +

Phobia has a runtime of 94 minutes.

What genre is Phobia? +

Phobia is classified as a drama, horror, and thriller film.

Where can I watch Phobia? +

Phobia is available to watch on SassyFlix.