I'm a big Cronenberg fan, but I just couldn't buy into this one. The pacing is awful, so it seems very slow considering the awesome plotline.

Hilarious movie, the acting is terrible.

The plot seems to move on a circle above the watchers head where a lot of things happen before a better movie would establish things. Some of the old computer stuff is pretty amusing though.

Cheesy but entertaining sci-fi horror, plus Michael Ironside makes everything better (if not necessarily good).

Pretty good overall, but not essential viewing by any means.

Good, old-fashioned Pulp Cronenberg. Terrible acting, awkward dialogue, haphazard pace, and yet so damn eerie. There are so many subtle touches that hint at the more serious ideas lurking behind the cheese. The score ranges from hilariously cheap-sounding synthesizer horns to grimy ambiance as good as anything Reznor went on to make. I mourn the retirement (essentially) of Michael Ironside.

Classic B Sci-fi/Horror flick with a gaping hole in the center - namely the lead actor. Just too many cringeworthy line readings and no charisma. Maybe it was intentional? If so, it doesn't work. At best, a guilty pleasure.

While the premise is pure camp, the themes that Cronenberg addresses in Scanners are curiously broad. He rails against the corporation and the suppression of the individual with distant characters whose emotional growth was stunted by the world around them. While I appreciated these themes, and his attempt to form a cohesive world, the characters distance, which I believe to be intentional, makes the film feel empty, and while it may have a weighty message it is a difficult film to really enjoy.

my second fave from cronenberg. first one is the fly.

The exploding head made this film instantly watchable from the start. But it was very weird from then on and spawned two terrible sequels.

This film is story of mutants (=Scanners) who have special telepathic and telekinetic powers and their adversary who tries to destroy them. In many ways the story is close to X-men in general but this one is more dark and bloody. This was a turning point for director Cronenberg who had made similarly themed films before but this shows little bit more mature directing style. Film is uneven with some bad actors, and acting, and is known for it's effective special effects.

Mutants much cooler than the X-Men or Spiderman. A great depiction of unnatural abilities and post humanism.

Nothing to lose your head over.

holy shit cronenberg sucks

Stephen Lack is painfully wooden in his acting and the effects are amateurish, yet Cronenberg's vision somehow manages to shine through, as it always does. I noticed they're remaking this, and with the right cast and a modern update special effects-wise, this could be a truly amazing film.

Gruesome but effective special effects.

Terrible pacing, and the plot is difficult to figure out.