The Head (1959): cast, story & where to watch
1959 · Film · ★ 4.6
Released in 1959, The Head is a horror and science fiction film directed by Victor Trivas, running about 97 minutes. “The Body is Gone... But The Head Lives On!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A scientist invents a serum that keeps a dog's head alive after its body dies. When the scientist dies of a heart attack, his crazed assistant cuts off his head and, using the serum, keeps the doctor's head alive and forces it to help him on an experiment to give his hunchbacked nurse assistant a new body.
Who’s in it. The Head stars Horst Frank as Dr. Brandt alias Dr. Ood, Michel Simon as Prof. Dr. Abel, Karin Kernke as Schwester Irene Sander and Helmut Schmid as Bert Jaeger, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 4.6/10, The Head has proved divisive with audiences.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Head page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Head tend to enjoy Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Shining and Alien.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Head (1959)?
- In US, The Head is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Head worth watching?
- The Head holds an audience score of 4.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy horror and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Head?
- The Head stars Horst Frank, Michel Simon, Karin Kernke, Helmut Schmid and Paul Dahlke.
- When was The Head released?
- The Head was released in 1959, with a runtime of about 97 minutes.