Brainscan (1994)

"My name's Michael Brower. I'm 16 and I'm scared to death." - Michael

A boy gets involved with a deadly interactive video game.
Starring: Edward Furlong, T. Ryder Smith, Frank Langella, Amy Hargreaves

Link to IMDB

Ever since his mother died, Michael has been a typical troubled teenager of the 1990s. He's into video games, horror movies and spying on the girl next door as she gets naked. He might be a bit weird, but he's also cool enough not to care what people think.

Michael and his friend Kyle are excited to hear about a new CD ROM game called Brainscan, which claims to use advanced technology to let you fulfill your darkest fantasies by directly interfacing with your subconscious! When Michael gets a copy and installs the "mind-entry-program" he's excited to find the most realistic virtual reality experience he's ever seen, as he watches through the eyes of a killer that stabs a man to death.

The next day he's shocked to see that the crime he experienced in the game is being talked about on the news! A man was murdered in his own neighborhood, and Michael seems to be responsible.



Detective Hayden and the police force are patrolling the streets, but Michael has other problems when a Beetlejuice-type of VR creep appears from out of his television! This weirdo is named Trickster, he's sort-of the mastermind behind the whole Brainscan experience, and he's proud of Michael's gruesome work.

Michael wants nothing to do with the game anymore, but Trickster is manipulating him and traps him in a dangerous bargain that Michael must accept to prove his innocence. As more people are being killed in town, Michael might be going crazy as the differences between VR and real life begin to lose meaning!

"This isn't a game anymore!" - Michael

Trickster

Det. Hayden

For better or worse, this movie exemplifies a 90's teen thriller all too well. The atmosphere is good and some of the far-fetched concepts work as intended, as we become unsure of Michael's sanity and Trickster's motives, but it's always hard to give the premise of evil virtual reality any seriousness. I did appreciate how bizarre everything gets and there is some sincere suspense, but parts of the story feels poorly planned and the twist at the end is annoying.
It's classic 90's cheese with some real style, but 20 years later it has not aged well.

Be sure not to miss:
- An extra scene during the end credits. It mirrors an earlier scene, but what does it explain?
- "Death, Death, Death..... part two."
- I counted 451 Aerosmith posters

Internet review:
"Pure gold, thank you baby Jesus!" - Dana

Should I watch it?
If you're stuck in the 90s.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Brainscan gets...