OK, how many movies are there about the dangers of trusting technology too much? I don't know, but the truth is that "Brainscan" isn't half bad. It's just that this sort of story seems so common nowadays that it barely registers any time that a new movie shows it. Still, Edward Furlong does a neat job as teenager Michael Bower, whose video game starts manifesting itself. It's sort of weird seeing Frank Langella in a movie like this, considering that he most recently starred in something as serious as "Good Night, and Good Luck.".

All in all, this isn't a bad movie. It's just that the plot seems so routine that it probably won't really stick with you. Worth seeing, if only once.

Dumb, dumb...dumb horror movie ONLY enjoyable IF you manage to totally ignore the whole concept that is....well...rather dumb! "Brainscan" is the name of a hi-tech video game that places the player inside the mind of a serial killer. Bound to a time-limit, Michael Bower (Edward Furlong) has to commit a motiveless murder without leaving evidence or witnesses. All very exciting, of course, until the next morning when Michael finds out that – surprise surprise – a real murder took place in his neighborhood, identical to the one he interactively committed. Overcome with fear and denial, he loses all contact with the outside world and becomes more and more dependent on Trickster; the sinister host of the game. Despite being such a – oh yes – dumb film, this "Brainscan" is rather well-made and involving. The eerie tune is excellent, the opening sequences (showing Michael's returning nightmare of his mother dying in a road-accident) is atmospheric and the supportive characters are smoothly drawn. I particularly liked Frank Langella's cop-character Hayden. He's a fatigue man who refers to Michael as the class-misfit and never raises the tone of his voice, not even when the killer eventually stands in front of him. The visual effects were too hectic for me, but there is some good old-fashioned low budget gore and sharp black humor. The absolute best gimmick of the entire production, however, is Michael's computer-engineered butler named Igor! This guy is great!! He answers to every command with a monotonous "Yes, master" and he even constantly repeats the message: "Master is busy...Master is busy", when Michael to wishes to hold all calls. I have got to get me one of those! Anyway, back to the movie: The climax is an obvious giveaway and it only states what everybody already knows. Gamers generally are mentally weak people with difficulties to have mature friendships or relations, ha ha. "Brainscan" is a horror movie especially intended for the Playstation-generation, so you better dispose of a healthy dose of humor in case you're not in this target group. Oh, did I already mention it was rather dumb??

Special kudos goes out to actress Amy Hargreaves who supposedly portrays a 16-year-old high-school sweetheart, while in reality 24 years of age already.

Director John Flynn's 1977 film Rolling Thunder has been cited several times by Quentin Tarantino as a major influence (The Acuna Boys in Kill Bill are taken directly from this film). Here, he's directing a script by Brian Owens and Andrew Kevin Walker (who would go on to write Seven, Hideaway and 8mm.

Michael Brower (Edward Furlong) lives alone in a mansion that belongs to his absent father. Ever since a car crash, his father has disappeared from his life, he's lost his mother and he has a permanent leg injury. He's pretty much anyone who would rent this movie - he loves horror films and longs for his next-door neighbor Kimberly.

He has only one friend, Kyle, who introduces him to Brainscan, a new video game that's hosted by the Trickster (stage actor T. Ryder Smith, who pretty much makes this movie watchable),an evil entity that encourages players to live out their most murderous impulses. Michael learns that anyone that is killed in the game also dies in the real world when one of his virtual victims shows up dead. And then he kills his best friend - which he doesn't remember - as the game takes over his brain.

Soon, Detective Hayden (Frank Langella, the other reason this movie is watchable) is on the case and the Trickster is tormenting him everywhere he goes and even demands that he kill Kimberly. , who refuses to leave his home. Trickster ultimately instructs him to kill Kimberly.

This movie ends - like most 1990's virtual reality films - with a series of fakeouts to make you wonder what's real and what's inside the video game world. Also: if you're into late 1990's nu metal, good news. There's some Primus, some White Zombie and some Pitchshifter, amongst others.

Flynn was no fan of Edward Furlong. He said, "Eddie Furlong was a 15-year-old kid who couldn't act. You had to slap him awake every morning. I don't want to get into knocking people, but I was not a big Eddie Furlong fan."