Scanners (1981): cast, story & where to watch
1981 · Film · ★ 6.7
Released in 1981, Scanners is a horror and science fiction film directed by David Cronenberg, running about 103 minutes. “10 Seconds: The Pain Begins. 15 Seconds: You Can’t Breathe. 20 Seconds: You Explode.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. After a man with extraordinary—and frighteningly destructive—telepathic abilities is nabbed by agents from a mysterious rogue corporation, he discovers he is far from the only possessor of such strange powers, and that some of the other “scanners” have their minds set on world domination, while others are trying to stop them.
Who’s in it. Scanners stars Stephen Lack as Cameron Vale, Jennifer O'Neill as Kim Obrist, Michael Ironside as Darryl Revok and Patrick McGoohan as Dr. Paul Ruth, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.7/10, Scanners has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $14.2M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel and Cinemax Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Scanners page.
If you liked it. Fans of Scanners tend to enjoy Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Shining and Alien.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Scanners (1981)?
- In US, Scanners is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Scanners worth watching?
- Scanners holds an audience score of 6.7 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy horror and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Scanners?
- Scanners stars Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill, Michael Ironside, Patrick McGoohan and Lawrence Dane.
- When was Scanners released?
- Scanners was released in 1981, with a runtime of about 103 minutes.