Brainstorm
A visionary researcher battles government control and his own colleagues to unlock a recording that may reveal what death feels like.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- visionary
- paranoid
- serious
- 80s science fiction night
- thoughtful movie night
What critics said
Critics were divided, recognizing the film's ambitious and visually inventive premise while finding its execution uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Michael and Lillian develop a system that captures and replays sight, feeling, thought, and eventually death itself.
The government takes control of the laboratory after recognizing the system's potential for missile guidance, torture, and psychological manipulation.
The playback technology turns recorded sensations, emotions, and altered mental states into heightened experiential sequences.
Michael risks institutional retaliation to experience a recording of death and seek understanding beyond ordinary consciousness.
Films like Brainstorm, and why
Strange Days
shared experiential technology, corporate and governmental abuse, and paranoid science fiction thriller atmosphere
Altered States
shared immersive consciousness technology, ethical dilemmas, and high-concept science fiction suspense
The Andromeda Strain
shared government exploitation of experimental technology and morally serious science fiction thriller tension
Videodrome
shared exploration of recorded experience, surveillance, and the destabilizing consequences of advanced media technology
Movie Details
- Director
- Douglas Trumbull
- Release Date
- 1983-09-30
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (286)
Cast
- Christopher Walken
- Natalie Wood
- Louise Fletcher
- Cliff Robertson
- Jordan Christopher
- Donald Hotton
- Alan Fudge
- Joe Dorsey
- Bill Morey
- Jason Lively
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Brainstorm about?
- A visionary researcher battles government control and his own colleagues to unlock a recording that may reveal what death feels like.
- What is Brainstorm like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brainstorm as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Brainstorm violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Brainstorm as mild.
- What did critics think of Brainstorm?
- Critics were divided, recognizing the film's ambitious and visually inventive premise while finding its execution uneven.
- Which films are like Brainstorm?
- Films with a similar feel include Strange Days, Altered States, The Andromeda Strain, and Videodrome.
- How long is Brainstorm?
- Brainstorm runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brainstorm?
- In United States, Brainstorm streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
