Scanners
Plot
Dalam film thriller fiksi ilmiah tahun 1981 karya David Cronenberg "Scanners", Cam Henderson (Michael Ironside) adalah seorang telepati yang kuat dengan kemampuan untuk mengendalikan dan menghancurkan pikiran orang. Ketika Cam mengetahui bahwa dia tidak sendirian dalam kemampuannya, dia terlibat dalam plot jahat oleh sebuah perusahaan bernama Consecend, yang berusaha untuk mengeksploitasi individu dengan kekuatan luar biasa seperti itu untuk keuntungan mereka sendiri. Film ini dibuka dengan Cameron Vale (Peter Stebbings), seorang pria muda bermasalah dengan kemampuan telepati, yang dilacak dan ditangkap oleh agen dari Consecend. Saat Cameron menjadi subjek eksperimen dan interogasi, dia mulai menyadari sepenuhnya kekuatan dan sifat sebenarnya dari niat perusahaan tersebut. Sementara itu, Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside), seorang pemindai yang brilian namun tidak stabil dengan bakat untuk menghancurkan, telah melarikan diri dari cengkeraman perusahaan. Darryl menjadi terobsesi dengan Cameron, yakin bahwa mereka terhubung dalam beberapa cara dan bahwa dia ditakdirkan untuk menghanculkannya. Saat Cam berjuang untuk menerima kemampuannya dan kekuatan jahat yang mengelilinginya, dia juga harus menghadapi rahasia kelam Consecend dan rencana jahat mereka untuk dominasi global. Dengan bantuan gerakan bawah tanah pemberontak yang berjuang melawan tirani perusahaan, Cameron berangkat untuk menghentikan Darryl dan mengungkap kebenaran tentang Consecend. Sepanjang film, Cronenberg mengeksplorasi tema paranoia, pemberontakan, dan kaburnya garis antara realitas dan fantasi. Hasilnya adalah film thriller tegang dan mencolok secara visual yang menggali aspek-aspek gelap dari sifat manusia. Dengan perpaduan horor fiksi ilmiah dan komentar sosial, "Scanners" telah menjadi film klasik kultus, memperkokoh tempatnya sebagai salah satu film paling berpengaruh dalam karya Cronenberg.
Ulasan
Hudson
Quite the opposite of "It's Alive," "Scanners" employs telekinetic homicide, a concept practically impossible to visualize directly on screen. It relies heavily on the actors' ability to convey the extraordinary without physical props. (Also, is that helicopter shot at the 63-minute mark an homage to his own film, "Stereo"?)
Marcus
Clearly, "Scanners" foreshadows the concept later seen in Marvel's X-Men. But, the visual representation of mental control, relying solely on the actors' performances without physical aids, often feels strained and constipated. This film leans more towards "fantasy" than "science fiction," dwelling on imagination ungrounded in physical reality, akin to the unreal notions of "magic" or "inner power," making it all rather mystical and vague. It's a concept-driven piece, indeed. The depiction of the battle between superhuman psychic abilities unfolds through a series of medium and close-up shots, switching between actors. To its credit, the film ventures into political and philosophical reflection, though superficially. If one seeks a truly in-depth exploration of a computer-controlled human utopia, Fassbinder's "World on a Wire" offers a far more insightful perspective...
Hope
The green font on the screen, the state of computing in the 1980s, the Scanner as a direct connection between humans and electronic components, or rather, the internalization of mechanics within the flesh through some means. "Scanners" seems to borrow a kind of 1940s retro-futurism, without internally demonstrating this relationship. Further, the film revisits the "institute" space, a location seen in Cronenberg's earlier experimental works, where ESP phenomena are recorded and observed. However, "Scanners" does not adopt the "thesis film" mode of his early work by explaining the rationality of this theory through abundant audio-visual opposition, but rather functions as a more straightforward genre film...
Adrienne
Every Cronenberg film can be divided into a tedious 70 minutes and a mind-blowing 20 minutes that leaves you questioning everything you thought you knew.
Tucker
The ending was brutally shocking! I was completely stunned. After reading Nine Uncle's short review, it all made sense. This is indeed a martial arts film! The ending was a battle of internal energy between the two strongest masters in the world on a mountaintop...
Max
Scanners is a thrilling sci-fi horror film that explores the dark side of telepathic powers. The film's eerie atmosphere and intense action sequences keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The story delves into the sinister motives of the mysterious corporation, revealing a complex web of intrigue and deception. With its thought-provoking themes and graphic violence, Scanners is a cult classic that still captivates audiences today, leaving a lasting impact with its haunting and unsettling portrayal of psychic horror.
Esther
"Scanners, huh? You think you're the only one who can read minds with your brainwave sandwich? Try telling that to the self-checkout line at McDonald's. They've been 'scanning' my patience for months!"
