source: The Sender

The Sender

The Sender has some interesting concepts of the supernatural being housed in science and psychology. The picture unfortunately suffers from the rigors of making monsters out of science and doctors as they ignore and disbelieve the supernatural. The depiction of mental illness is poorly conveyed, but for a film made in 1982, this could have been progressive at the time. The film lacks the larger structure and bite that the Dead Zone was able to capture but a year later. (And no doubt due largely to Stephen King's superb story and Cronenberg's talent to maintain the story but transform it into film.) Acting is generally decent and rises to the occasion. This, and the unsuspected reveal at the start of the 3rd act brings this film to a 6 given the "movie of the week" nature of the story and plotting, as well as the lackluster ongoing tension that wasbnot sustained in this film. Tired of watching the Dead Zone? This one is worth a watch, but don't expect too much from it.

This movie messes with your head- in all the right ways. It'll make you guess if what you're seeing is real. This movie surprised me- for I had never even heard of it. A unique hospital/psychiatric ward type of horror movie-- with interesting characters-- and a mystery that keeps you on your toes. Recommended.

awesome suspenseful thriller has great directing VERY good acting and all the characters are amiable and has good characterization the gore is minimal a few blood splashes here and there this was one heck of an engrossing ride it has a chilling ending a great score and very amiable characters this is very hard to find luckily i found at my local video store it was sad haunting and very creepy only one problem it ended too abruptly and it was kinda confusing to understand don't be fooled by the bland looking cover box this is a true forgotten gem that i recommend it highly the dreams are pretty cool and the rats creep me out out the opening scene where he tries to commit suicide was disturbing ***1/2 out of 5 and the scene of him walking the water that was disturbing as hell if ya ask me

This one is a bit creepy. It's a horror film that seems to be overlooked, more or less forgotten, but is a very interesting and odd movie. It's about a guy with ESP - he sends extremely real images to people when he's upset or asleep having nightmares. He tries to commit suicide and then is brought to a state mental hospital for observation and treatment. The doctors end up upsetting him and they start learning of special and terrifying gift when things start happening to them. His mother keeps showing up at the hospital only upsetting him more. The viewer never learns his real name, we only know this guy by the name of John Doe aka The Sender. The film contains a ghost and other supernatural elements so if you are into those types of films then you might enjoy The Sender. 8/10

A doctor (Kathryn Harroler) tries to find out why a telepathic young man (Zelijko Ivank) is unleashing his nightmares and visions into the minds of the staff and patients and causing them injury. She thinks his weird mother (Shirley Knight) my be part of the cause. Crisp, suspenseful thriller with a solid premise and good production values & performances. One of the best horror films from the 1980's. Rated R; Violence.

Fitfully effective creep-out, one that sneaked in and out of theaters but managed to find a small audience once it premiered on cable in the mid-1980s. Lovely Kathryn Harrold is very good as a dedicated doctor attempting to understand a handsome young mental patient (Zeljko Ivanek) who is both telepathic and wildly unbalanced. An odd, off-putting piece, though certainly a curious one filmed quite well on a low-budget; its predilection for smashed glass and marauding insects and rodents may turn many viewers off however, and Shirley Knight's performance as the sender's mother nearly lapses into camp (though I actually welcomed this!). ** from ****

A suicidal mental patient(Zelijko Ivanek)turns his horrific nightmares into reality by choosing receivers for his demented thoughts from the local hospital.Psychiatrist(Kathryn Harrold)realizes the young man's power and tries to save him."The Sender" is a very creepy horror film that has slick production values.The acting is surprisingly good and the film perfectly mixes reality with unsettling hallucinations.There is only a little bit of blood,but the atmosphere of dread and fear is easy to feel.There are some wonderful moments of pure horror like the scene where an Etc machine is switched on and an entire operating room erupts in a slow-motion explosion.The film is relatively obscure,but if you get the chance watch it.8 out of 10.Highly recommended.