The Dead Zone

THE DEAD ZONE (18)

D: David Cronenberg

Paramount (Debra Hill)

USA 🇺🇸 1983

103 mins

Horror/Thriller

W: Jeffrey Boam [based on the novel by Stephen King]

DP: Mark Irwin

Ed: Ronald Sanders

Mus: Michael Kamen

PD: Carol Spier

Christopher Walken (Johnny Smith), Brooke Adams (Sarah Bracknell), Tom Skerritt (Sheriff Bannerman), Herbert Lom (Dr. Sam Welzak), Anthony Zerbe (Roger Stuart), Colleen Dewhurst (Henrietta Dodd), Martin Sheen (Greg Stillson), Nicholas Campbell (Frank Dodd), Sean Sullivan (Herb Smith)

A rather faithful adaptation of Stephen King's brilliant novel, with a great performance by Christopher Walken. He plays Johnny Smith, a victim of a car accident who awakens from a coma with clairvoyant powers.

In all fairness, the story worked better in the book, especially when Smith is wrestling with his conscience about whether or not to assassinate a crooked politician who is destined to bring about a nuclear war. This makes up the main crux of the story, but the second act also concerns Smith assisting a small-town sheriff who is trying to solve a serial killer case.

It's more a psychological thriller than the horror normally associated with the original writer and the film does a good job with it's adaptation, but the book is so much better.

6/10