Scanners

A corporate scientist (Patrick McGoohan) recruits a destitute man with telepathic powers to hunt a madman (Michael Ironside) with similar powers.

Scanners is a slick, well-crafted, sci-fi horror from director David Cronenberg that suffers from uneven casting and an almost too outlandish plot.

With good performances from Patrick McGoohan as a conflicted scientist and Michael Ironside as a deliciously over-the-top baddie, Cronenberg elevates the film to a sort-of polished pulp. There’s an unwavering sense of unease evident from the opening scene that Cronenberg maintains throughout the entire film, punctuated by several memorable special effects sequences, including an early one that almost single-handedly makes the movie.

Unfortunately, there are problems. Some of the “scanner” moments are unintentionally laughable, and the plot is just a hair’s breath away from unbelievable (especially when they start talking about the computers “nervous system”) but Cronenberg’s sense of atmosphere holds things together, barely. The biggest problem is that film’s two leads, Jennifer O’Neil and Stephen Lack, pale next to supporting players McGoohan and Ironside. Their wooden delivery and timid screen presence prove to be a real drag on what’s otherwise a fast-paced thriller.

Still, Scanners is a film that fans of sci-fi horror should definitely check out, though those with a weak stomach may want to look elsewhere.