David Cronenberg's first foray into mainstream filmmaking is also one of his most satisfying pictures. Adapted from a Stephen King novel, it stars Christopher Walken as Johnny, a man who has been in a coma for five years and wakes up to realize that he can tell a person's fate just by touching them. Realizing that he can change the future as well, Johnny soon gets 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 US (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.
Review 1:
"...Cronenberg's most accomplished film so far, created with flair, fluency and welcome understatement..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.150 03/01/1984
Review 2:
"...A sad, sympathetic and unsettling movie, quietly forceful....Cronenberg's direction is vivid and effective..."
Source: New York Times
p.C8 10/21/1983
Review 3:
"...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..."
Source: Variety
10/12/1983
Review 4:
"...With its small-town milieu, lots of snow and supernatural mayhem, THE DEAD ZONE is one of the better Stephen King movie adaptations..."
Source: USA Today
p.11E 09/29/2000
Review 5:
"...[A] quietly effective Stephen King thriller..."
Source: Total Film
p.118 11/01/2000
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