Scanners
A volatile psychic recruit is drawn into a clandestine war against the scanner seeking to dominate minds and remake society.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- paranoid
- visceral
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- cult cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly view it as a dark, literate science fiction horror film whose memorable practical effects outweigh an uneven mystery plot and thin characterization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Scanner powers culminate in grotesque physical damage, including the film's iconic exploding-head effects.
The scanner underground has been interpreted as an oblique reflection on radical counterculture becoming dominant culture.
ConSec and Dr. Paul Ruth seek to locate and use scanners while Revok organizes them toward domination.
The film's memorable psychic attacks and bodily effects are achieved through conspicuous practical horror effects.
Films like Scanners, and why
The Brood
shared body horror, psychic powers, visceral practical effects, and paranoid science fiction
Scanners II: The New Order
shared telekinetic abilities, psychological terror, violent supernatural spectacle, and horror mystery
Videodrome
shared dark science fiction, conspiratorial conflict, grotesque transformation, and unsettling practical effects
The Fury
shared psychic phenomena, institutional manipulation, thriller pacing, and explosive supernatural violence
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 1981-01-14
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1435)
Cast
- Stephen Lack
- Jennifer O'Neill
- Michael Ironside
- Patrick McGoohan
- Lawrence Dane
- Robert A. Silverman
- Lee Broker
- Mavor Moore
- Adam Ludwig
- Murray Cruchley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Scanners about?
- A volatile psychic recruit is drawn into a clandestine war against the scanner seeking to dominate minds and remake society.
- What is Scanners like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Scanners as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Scanners violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Scanners as graphic.
- What did critics think of Scanners?
- Critics broadly view it as a dark, literate science fiction horror film whose memorable practical effects outweigh an uneven mystery plot and thin characterization.
- Which films are like Scanners?
- Films with a similar feel include The Brood, Scanners II: The New Order, Videodrome, and The Fury.
- How long is Scanners?
- Scanners runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Scanners?
- In United States, Scanners streams on HBO Max.
