AVCO Embassy Pictures released Scanners on 14 January 1981. It made people’s heads explode!

Scanners is one of my top five David Cronenberg films. It is arguably his most commercial film. It’s one of his most straightforward films even while still being totally on brand.

If you haven’t seen it, you must! And if you have seen it, you must again! It is so much fun! And in addition to a great cast including Stephen Lack, Jennifer O’Neill, and Michael Ironside, there is… Patrick McGoohan!

But I want to talk about film endings. Because many good films die because of bad endings. I don’t mean negative endings. I mean disappointing endings. Consider Constantine as an example.

Most of Constantine is really good. It doesn’t manage transitions well. But it includes so many great scenes (and some clunkers) that it’s hard not to like. And the ending with Peter Stormare as Lucifer is delicious. And then…

John (Keanu Reeves) escapes hell with the standard sacrifice. There are two major problems here. First, it’s boring. Everyone has seen this used again and again in fiction. Second, it is such a well-known loophole that there is no way anyone could make such a sacrifice altruistically. And John is such a cynical character that especially wouldn’t apply to him. And what?! Lucifer would have forgotten about it? He lives in hell! You mean he’s never seen Fantasy Island or Bedazzled?!

A story like this needs a great ending. And Cronenberg nails it in Scanners. I won’t give it away in case anyone wants to see it cold. But the whole film moves toward a final confrontation. And the plot is resolved in a clever way that few see ahead of time. (But now that you are looking for it, you may!)

Here’s a great print of the film. Enjoy!

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Scanners (1981) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.