Pulse

PG-13

Released Mar 4, 1988

1h 31m

Sci-Fi

List

64%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

29%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A boy (Joey Lawrence) tries to warn his father (Cliff De Young) and stepmother (Roxanne Hart) about their unsafe household appliances.

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steve d

Done better countless times,

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

kevin c

A young boy begins to suspect the electricity in his house is trying to kill him and his family just as it did his neighbor across the street. Hard part is convincing his dad. This was better than I expected. Joey Lawrence plays the young boy. Some pretty interesting kill attempts in this one. Still holds up well for an eighties movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

marco b

Electricity decides to become a murderer in a quiet suburban town.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Joel C

This is one of those films that had all the production in the right places but just didn't work well. Where it falls short is the script, mostly dialogue and character, plus the fact it was mimicking a few family based horror films before it. The FX look great and filming was good enough. My favourite character was the little kid next door who plays with G.I. Joes and always says "That's bad!" lol

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/23/21

Full Review

Audience Member

While Pulse remains an exercise in style and suspense, Golding's first and only directorial effort isn't without flaws. Inaccurately marketed as a slasher, gorehounds may be disappointed with the lack of bloodshed. As Golding stated later, "obviously the horror genre has changed. I wanted to do something that was much more focussed on suspense rather than blood." Admittedly, the director creates an impressive amount of apprehension. However, Pulse often feels like it should be a short story featured in Tales of the Crypt (1989-1996). Throughout the short 90-minute runtime, the director's reluctant to create any thrilling sequences until the final act, meaning it sadly lacks the bite required to make it a memorable tech horror.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A lot cooler than I was expecting. The parallels it draws to today and people's inability to unplug makes it rather timely.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/18

Full Review

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Paul Golding

Director

Cliff DeYoung

Bill Rockland

Roxanne Hart

Ellen Rockland

Joey Lawrence

David Rockland

Matthew Lawrence

Stevie

Charles Tyner

Old Man Holger

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Boston Globe

Rated: 3/4

Feb 25, 2006

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3/5

Jan 8, 2006

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Rated: 3/4

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

Apart from the likeable performances and some surprisingly nifty special effects, there is little else to get the pulse racing.

Rated: 3

Feb 17, 2021

Full Review

Daniel Kasman

d+kaz. intelligent movie reviews

Rated: B+

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Reel.com

Rated: 4/4

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

A boy (Joey Lawrence) tries to warn his father (Cliff De Young) and stepmother (Roxanne Hart) about their unsafe household appliances.

Director: Paul Golding
Producer: William E. McEuen
Screenwriter: Paul Golding
Production Co: Aspen Film Society, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 1988, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.6K
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Surround

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