Review of Brainscan (1994) by Barton J — 02 Nov 2003

The blending of reality and fantasy is as cliché as ice cream on a hot day. Since the onset of virtual reality people have begun to question the things they used to take at face value. Is this a dream? Am I just a reflection of the guy in the mirror? What is the Matrix? Many movies have been made to challenge the audience into forgetting what?s real? this is another one.

BRAINSCAN takes this old age concept and manages to put a modern twist on it. The film tells the story about a troubled kid that really digs video games and horror. One day he gets a game that allows him to become a virtual murderer. The problem is the murder is real. Now the kid must complete the game or the police will be able to link the crime to him. He?s led along his path by a creepy character named Trickster, who does his best to keep the game going and the murders coming.

While not terribly original, this film works well. The thrill of the kill is portrayed nicely through first person footage, the suspense as the kid tries to destroy the clues is done well, even the comedy (while it is only slight) mixes smoothly into the script and helps to flush out the Trickster?s character. The soundtrack here is good enough to note as it mixes some nice heavy metal with a steady dark score. The acting for the most part is decent, with only the friend coming out looking really bad. Trickster isn?t scary, and I don?t believe he was meant to be, but he is an interesting guy and carries every scene he?s in.

The main character, played by Eddie Furlong, is pretty interesting. He has a lot of baggage from the loss of his mother and an inattentive father. I?d say that a majority of the film is a coming of age story as the kid goes from a shy shut-in to a more confident individual. He?s certainly different at the end then he was at the beginning. The portrayal here is subtle and may not click with most people, but I certainly felt his pain as he finds his friends dead with the threat of more to come. Some decent emoting and made fairly believable. This movie won?t win any awards and won?t appear on any top ten lists, but it is a fun popcorn flick and a welcome distraction. Just don?t try to pick out the flaws and enjoy the trip.