Review of Scanners (1981) by Dan S — 04 Nov 2008

Thereâ??s always something interesting in David Cronenbergâ??s films, even the not very good ones. Scanners falls into the latter category with its unique take on ESP and telekinetic ability. Thereâ??s some typical Cronenberg moments (some brilliant) â?? the finale, and most notably, the early seen when Micheal Ironside displays the true power of a Scanners ability. Yet, the film is let down by Stephen Lack whose lacklustre performance, so pivotal to making or breaking the film, is plain and lacking depth. He doesnâ??t engage the audience, we donâ??t really care what happens to him, and he has the expressiveness, both facially and vocally, of a freshly painted wall slowly drying.

The script also suffers from gaping plot holes that canâ??t be hidden under Cronenbergâ??s usual reality-bending. How on earth Revok could have snuck under Com-Sec securityâ??s nose to commit murder is beyond me (also, how does his fellow Scanner not recognise Revok: the most famous Scanner to have ever lived?). Overall, Scanners is bold and original with a couple of stand-out moments, but Cronenberg is well off his best form. For horror films that look at telekinesis I found Carrie and The Fury much more rewarding. For more entertaining Cronenberg films see Existenz, Crash, Spider, A History Of Violence; for his masterpieces see The Brood, Videodrome, and The Fly.