Modern Problems
After nuclear waste gives a dumped air traffic controller telekinetic powers, romantic jealousy turns everyday frustrations into a run of increasingly absurd schemes.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- goofy
- romantic
- lazy sunday
- retro movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film sloppy and uneven, with occasional funny lines and situations undermined by tonal inconsistency and dull stretches.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Max gains telekinetic powers after contact with nuclear waste and uses them to address romantic and personal problems.
The reception specifically notes the film's attempt to mix silly comedy with serious drama, producing tonal shifts between comic sequences and emotional conflict.
Max uses telekinesis to win back Darcy and gain leverage in everyday difficulties rather than to pursue a grand science fiction mission.
Max's powers are triggered by contact with nuclear waste, linking personal change to an environmental technological hazard.
Films like Modern Problems, and why
The Man Who Could Work Miracles
Both are screwball science fiction comedies built around an ordinary protagonist gaining extraordinary powers and mishandling them.
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
Both combine broad physical comedy, romantic complications, and fantastical powers in an accessible mainstream format.
Bedazzled
Both are eccentric supernatural comedies about wish fulfillment, personal frustration, and comic consequences.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ken Shapiro
- Release Date
- 1981-12-25
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (98)
Cast
- Chevy Chase
- Patti D'Arbanville
- Dabney Coleman
- Mary Kay Place
- Nell Carter
- Brian Doyle-Murray
- Mitch Kreindel
- Arthur Sellers
- Sandy Helberg
- Neil Thompson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Modern Problems about?
- After nuclear waste gives a dumped air traffic controller telekinetic powers, romantic jealousy turns everyday frustrations into a run of increasingly absurd schemes.
- What is Modern Problems like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Modern Problems as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Modern Problems violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Modern Problems.
- What did critics think of Modern Problems?
- Critics generally found the film sloppy and uneven, with occasional funny lines and situations undermined by tonal inconsistency and dull stretches.
- Which films are like Modern Problems?
- Films with a similar feel include The Man Who Could Work Miracles, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, and Bedazzled.
- How long is Modern Problems?
- Modern Problems runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Modern Problems?
- In United States, Modern Problems streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
