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The Dead Zone Details

1983 Certificate 18
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 4397 members

David Cronenberg's first foray into mainstream filmmaking is also one of his most satisfying pictures. Adapted from a Stephen King novel, the movie stars Christopher Walken as Johnny, a man who has been in a coma for five years and wakes up to find that he can tell a person's fate just by touching them. Realising that he can .. Read more

Starring Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom
Director David Cronenberg
Genres Horror, Thriller

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The Dead Zone

David Cronenberg's first foray into mainstream filmmaking is also one of his most satisfying pictures. Adapted from a Stephen King novel, the movie stars Christopher Walken as Johnny, a man who has been in a coma for five years and wakes up to find that he can tell a person's fate just by touching them. Realising that he can change the future as well, Johnny soon intervenes in a number of would-be tragedies. Consequently, he soon becomes famous for his gift, but he longs for his former life, when he still had his job, his fiancee, and a normal life. However, when he shakes hands with a future president of the United States (Martin Sheen, in a wonderfully hammy performance) who could end up being the biggest mass murderer since Hitler, Johnny wrestles with what seems to be his destiny. Walken's bravura performance forms the soul of this excellent and touching thriller.

Starring Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom, Martin Sheen, Anthony Zerbe, Colleen Dewhurst
Director David Cronenberg
Studio SANCTUARY
Run time DVD: 1 hr 43 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Genres Horror, Thriller
Language DVD: English
Subtitles DVD: English, French, Spanish
Released DVD: 29 Jul 2004
Production year: 1983
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (6) of The Dead Zone

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    In this engrossing yet strangely unembellished adaptation of Stephen King's bestseller by director David Cronenberg, Christopher Walken plays the teacher who wakes up from a coma to find he has acquired the ability to foresee the future. As his value to society increases, his life crumbles, especially when he envisions the horrifying truth of mankind's destiny under the possible control of evil politician Martin Sheen. While it has none of Cronenberg's usual bracing style and is quite abrupt in parts, it does carry a surprisingly thoughtful and moving charge at times, with Walken, Sheen and Brooke Adams giving topnotch performances.

    • Radio Times
  • "...An accomplished psychological thriller....[Cronenberg] gets some appealing performances....Walken links each episode together quite well, accurately conveying the character's growing mental, physical and emotional anguish..."

    • Variety
  • Most helpful member's review of The Dead Zone

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  • 11 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    GREAT

    THE DEAD ZONE is -- by far -- the best Stephen King adaption ever to grace the silver screen. Screenwriter Jeffery Boam has done an amazing job of stripping away a lot of the grisly excess that sometimes overshadowed King's terrifying story -- it tripped up the narrative unnecessarily. Lean and mean, but still full of lovely detail, texture, and emotional shading, the film pulls us into the story not through simplistic sensationalism but through character.

      • A customer from not where i wanna be
  • Most recent members' review of The Dead Zone

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Better than i expected

    A guy gets caught in a car crash and is in a coma for several years he wakes from the coma and everything that mattered in his life is gone. he now has the gift of when he touched someone he can see the future and thier deaths etc

    Each time he does this it kills him a little more so he is left with the choice of helping others and becoming dead or doing the wrong thing. Needless to say he finds himself solving murders and saving lives as the film hurtles towards its climax.

    I really enjoyed this film the lead role honestly looks like his health goes down hill the later into the film it goes. The film itself looks old but this won't subtract from your enjoyment

    Very pleased

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Rating breakdown

4,397 Member ratings
  • 100
396
  • 90
390
  • 80
959
  • 70
906
  • 60
829
  • 50
426
  • 40
238
  • 30
118
  • 20
93
  • 10
42

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    • The Dead Zone
      David Cronenberg's first foray into mainstream filmmaking is also one of his most satisfying pictures. Adapted from a Stephen King novel, the movie stars Christopher Walken as Johnny, a man who has been in a coma for five years and wakes up to find that he can tell a person's fate just by touching ...