. ▁When ▁a ▁ra bid ▁rat - mon key ▁bit es ▁V era , ▁she ▁gradually ▁converts ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁New town ▁into ▁a ▁z omb ie ▁hor de . ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁release , ▁Bra inde ad ▁received ▁positive ▁reviews ▁from ▁critics . ▁Although ▁a ▁bomb ▁finan cially ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁release , ▁it ▁has ▁received ▁more ▁attention ▁since ▁Jackson ' s ▁success ▁with ▁The ▁Lord ▁of ▁the ▁R ings ▁tr il ogy . ▁ ▁Plot ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁expl orer ▁Stewart ▁Mc A ld en ▁and ▁his ▁team ▁sm ug gle ▁a ▁captured ▁Sum at ran ▁rat - mon key , ▁a ▁hy brid ▁creature ▁that ▁resulted ▁from ▁the ▁ra pe ▁of ▁tree ▁mon keys ▁by ▁pl ague - car ry ing ▁r ats , ▁out ▁of ▁Sk ull ▁Island . ▁During ▁the ▁team ' s ▁escape ▁from ▁the ▁island ' s ▁war rior ▁n atives , ▁who ▁demand ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁creature , ▁Stewart ▁is ▁bit ten ▁by ▁the ▁rat - mon key , ▁resulting ▁in ▁his ▁dis member ment ▁and ▁killing ▁by ▁his ▁crew , ▁who ▁fear ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁b ite . ▁The ▁captured ▁rat - mon key ▁is ▁then ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁Well ington ▁Z oo ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁In ▁Well ington , ▁Lion el ▁Cos gro ve ▁lives ▁in ▁a ▁Victor ian ▁m ansion ▁with ▁his ▁dom ine ering ▁mother ▁V era . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁child , ▁Lion el ' s ▁father ▁d rown