Shocker

R

Released Oct 27, 1989

1 hr. 51 min.

Horror

List

30%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

31%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After being captured for a series of gruesome murders, Horace Pinker, a television repairman, faces execution by the electric chair -- but a deal with the devil allows him to come back as electricity. Once he changes into his new form, Pinker goes after the detective that brought him down, Lt. Don Parker, as well as Parker's adopted son, Jonathan. However, Jonathan's mysterious connection to Pinker through dreams might help track the killer's moves.

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Premiered Nov 01

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Critics Consensus

With an intriguing enough premise and horror legend Wes Craven on writer-director duty, the real Shocker here is just how lame the end results turned out to be.

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Allan C

Wes Craven rips himself off, creating a knockoff of Freddy Krueger with Mitch Pileggi (Skinner from THE X-FILES) as Horace Pinker, a serial killer who got the electric chair, but who in death now has the ability to kill people through their electronics. Okay, it's different from killing people in their dreams, but the film starts the same as the original Elm Street film, with Pileggi building some sort of mysterious electronic device. Also, the main character, played by Peter Berg, who I always thought was a dopy actor, even in good films like THE LAST SEDUCTION, but who became a solid writer/director with movies like FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and THE KINGDOM, dreams about his family being killed and then it happens. Although Craven clearly had hopes of launching a new franchise with SHOCKER, he is a solid filmmaker, so although his script feels unoriginal, the film is well crafted, even when it feels too jokey to be scary. Michael Murphy, John Tesh, Ted Raimi, and Elm Street alum Heather Langenkamp (in a cameo) also appear in the film.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/23/23

Full Review

Blue

The first half of the movie was way better than the second half. Horace Pinker in the first half was actually a good and messed up serial killer. but, ever since he got executed, the movie just kinda became less fun. Its pretty boring and definitely not as fun and good as I expected.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

Mark A

Not sure at all why this hasn't got higher reviews. One of the best action horror films ever. Not to mention it has a killer soundtrack with dudes of wrath.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/24/23

Full Review

Chris M

This is from horror master Wes Craven and I think he was hoping Horace Pinker would reach the same level as Freddy. But there was a scene in the trailer where Pinker was on the electric chair where his last words were "No more Mr. Nice Guy." Considering that all the marketing was tied to that one line, it was stupid to cut it. Plus I think Pinker has as much screen time as Jason did in "Jason Goes to Hell". As between him catching him and him taking over other people. We don't see much of the villain. But it is entertaining and even scary. Not Wes Craven's best but no where near his worse. Worth checking out for the batshit final battle.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Shocker's ridiculous plot is what made me add this film to the list. That doesn't mean it's a terrible film. It's spectacular. It's full of terrible one-liners and sub-par acting, especially by a few actors who went on to accomplish great things in the entertainment industry.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

scott g

I watched this on the 35th anniversary of Lethal Weapon and boy did this film suck. The visuals and soundtrack are good but the rest of the film is a lame joke. Honestly, there is very little electricity in this film, so I will say the title doesn't fit the movie. This is a film I will say needs a remake, Big time.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

Michael Murphy

Lt. Don Parker

Peter Berg

Jonathan Parker

Camille Cooper

Alison

Mitch Pileggi

Horace Pinker

Richard Brooks

Rhino

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Shocker: Official Clip - The Electric Chair

1:35

Shocker: Official Clip - Deal With The Devil

2:11

Shocker: Official Clip - Evil Little Girl

2:26

Shocker: Official Clip - Escaping the TV

1:54

Shocker: Official Clip - Possessed Armchair Attack

1:55

Shocker: Official Clip - TV Station Fight

3:18

Shocker: Official Clip - Remote-Controlled Murderer

2:10

Shocker: Official Clip - The TV Fight

2:45

Shocker: Official Clip - Psycho Cop

3:10

Shocker: Official Clip - Ghost vs. Ghost

3:22

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Ever since he directed the first “Nightmare on Elm Street” in 1984, abandoning the sequels to others, Craven may be haunted by the fact that he made what many regard as the single scariest genre horror movie of the decade.

Sep 5, 2023

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

the camp aspects simply give way to the ridiculous while failing to establish any rules to govern the mayhem. The result is plenty of unintentional laughs.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

A revisitation of the director's favorite themes (alternate realities, parent-child dynamics, lunatics spouting one-liners) that pitifully attempts to replicate A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Rated: C

Feb 22, 2007

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

In Shocker, whats expensive turns out cheap. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 11, 2022

Full Review

Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

A really wacky ride.

Rated: 5/10

Jun 2, 2021

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

It's interesting to note that Shocker boasts an opening stretch that hardly hints at the off-the-wall craziness that's to come...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 6, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

After being captured for a series of gruesome murders, Horace Pinker, a television repairman, faces execution by the electric chair -- but a deal with the devil allows him to come back as electricity. Once he changes into his new form, Pinker goes after the detective that brought him down, Lt. Don Parker, as well as Parker's adopted son, Jonathan. However, Jonathan's mysterious connection to Pinker through dreams might help track the killer's moves.

Director: Wes Craven
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Alive Films, Carolco Pictures Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 27, 1989, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.5M
Sound Mix: Surround

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