Scanners

De la signature sonore déprimante et déchirante à l’explosion de tête la plus légendaire de toute l’histoire du cinéma, ce film d’horreur classique a plus d’un tour dans son sac. David Cronenberg décrit, avec une relative froideur, les déboires hauts en couleur du combat entre deux organisations secrètes. Entre les deux se trouve un espion naïf qui se voit précipiter dans un univers étrange et se fait manipuler – tout comme le spectateur. Lors du premier visionnage, j’ai eu un peu de mal avec le tempo relâché, mais la deuxième fois j‘ai été complètement happé par le film ; je me suis mis à savourer chaque séquence, le style « body horror » propre à Cronenberg et puis tous ces effets mécaniques qui me mettaient un sourire aux lèvres. (19/01/2021)

To be honest, I think "Scanners" is one of the weakest films that Cronenberg has directed. It has all the elements that his filmography can be proud of, but these specific elements are placed on a clichéd framework that is not capable of surprising anything. Although there are elements that are still strong, characters that can capture your attention, and a final twist that does hit, it is not a film that takes your breath away. Cronenberg has withdrawn a bit here and does not appear as much on the surface. Preferring repeated principles is not entirely it. (22/11/2013)

In Scanners, Cronenberg focuses on what has excited him since his debut: scientific research devoid of ethical barriers that can be dangerous to the whole world, and technologies that aim to "enhance" the mental and physical abilities of humans. The director is once again original, and provocative, and showcases himself in the position in which his fans have always loved him, that is, as a "deviant" with an exceptional talent for creating a unique atmosphere and unafraid to push the boundaries of the ordinary. The film deals with telepaths, who are the result of a side effect of a drug. Cronenberg views telepathy in the film as a direct connection between nervous systems and also as a flow of energy that is even compatible with computer data flow. In his interpretation, the Scanners are not only capable of influencing the behavior of the people they attack, but they can also physically destroy them and, following the example of cyberpunk, connect to computer systems without needing any connection. Scanners once had such an impact that the film required a (clearly weaker) sequel, and within Cronenberg's body of work, that film is among the more well-known. Personally, I remember most the presence of the prominent villain Michael Ironside in the role of the evil scanner Darryl Revok. Overall impression: 70%. (05/06/2017)

The thought-provoking subject matter is held down by an overblown script and Cronenberg's incomprehensible restraint in explicit scenes. The scanning in front of the audience and the grand ending as if from an epic fable are not enough to stop me from dryly stating that the film was just plain boring. It’s a prime example of a film where rumors of exploding heads have created a phenomenon that falls short in reality. (10/08/2007)

The beginning was pretty good, but unfortunately, after half an hour it started to bore me. The twist elevated it to a slightly above-par level, but Cronenberg has impressed me more with other films. Here the director flies too low and the result is far below his potential. I’m quite looking forward to the remake that is in the works. (16/05/2008)