Box Office
Flop · 0.1xBudget$3M
Worldwide Gross$242.6K
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Braindead
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Braindead
movie·R·Aug 13, 1992·
Box OfficeFlop · 0.1x
$3M
Budget
$242.6K
Gross
Shop
Shop this title
Braindead
We may earn a commission from purchases through these links.
Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.
Explore Prime Video — Opens in a new tab
Catalog availability and subscription terms vary.
Braindead
movie
R
August 13, 1992
Wokeometer Rating
1Based
0/10
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke
TL;DR Verdict
Braindead earns a 1/10 woke score as pure 1950s-set splatter comedy centered on Lionel’s zombie outbreak chaos and domineering mother satire. It delivers neutral, story-first entertainment with zero political messaging or identity framing.
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Detailed Analysis
Braindead (1992, aka Dead Alive), directed by Peter Jackson, is a New Zealand splatter zombie comedy centered on meek Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme) managing his domineering mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) after she is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey and turns into a zombie, sparking a gore-filled outbreak in 1950s Wellington.
The narrative revolves around classic horror-comedy tropes: a mama's boy romance with Paquita, absurd violence, a kung-fu priest, and basement zombie containment. Released well before modern identity-focused trends, the film prioritizes practical gore effects and slapstick humor over any social messaging. Jackson explicitly aimed for entertaining splatstick humor inspired by Monty Python rather than serious themes or social commentary.
The story stays grounded in zombie outbreak chaos, domineering mother satire, and light romance without progressive ideological framing. Original characters and casting avoid any source material alterations or forced elements, keeping the focus squarely on comedic entertainment and visceral horror set pieces.
Key Factors
- 1992 pre-woke release with pure entertainment focus on gore and comedy
- Original characters and casting with no established source material changes or forced diversity
- Plot and themes limited to zombie outbreak, domineering mother satire, and romance without progressive ideological framing
Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.
Detailed BreakdownPro
Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism
See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.
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Is Braindead Woke?
We've run a full content analysis on Braindead and scored it 1/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woke content is in Braindead?
Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into Braindead's overall score.
Is Braindead family-friendly?
Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). Braindead is rated R. For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the age rating to decide if it's right for your family.
How does Wokeometer score movies?
We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →
