Dust off that old modem and get ready to dial up some ‘90s nostalgia, AOL style, because this ultimate forgotten horror gem from 1994 is back in the streaming rotation and climbing the charts over on Tubi. Delivering pure pre-Y2K cyber-anxiety, this little oddball of a film stars Edward Furlong (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) as Michael, a horror-loving, lonely, and bored teen who boots up a mysterious CD-ROM horror game in search of something, anything, that can shock and entertain him. After the game’s well-dressed, Primus-loving malevolent host, named Trickster (T. Ryder Smith), materializes, Michael begins questioning more than just his own sanity as the lines between his virtual reality and actual reality start to blur.
If you’re still looking to fill out that Halloween horror watchlist, Brainscan would certainly make for a fun addition. In fact, Dread Central’s own Tyler Doupé recently dubbed the film “a strange 90s horror relic you need to watch ASAP,” and he’s not wrong. Nailing the sweet spot between schlocky charm and creepy, cyber-slasher, Brainscan is a genuinely endearing time capsule that still manages to feel relevant despite the cruel, enduring march of time.
What makes Brainscan a true ‘90s cyber-horror relic
More than just a techno-paranoia novelty, director John Flynn (Rolling Thunder, Lock Up) brings a thriller sensibility and genuine menace to Michael’s plight. As Trickster manipulates Michael’s thoughts and exploits his traumatic past, the stakes (and bodies) start to pile up higher than Trickster’s teased, red mane. Further supported by Andrew Kevin Walker’s (Se7en, 8mm) script, this earnest commitment to digital dread is balanced by a self-aware satire threaded throughout the scares, resulting in a surprisingly timeless final product. It will also undoubtedly spark some post-credit contemplation about culpability, fantasy, technology, and responsibility.
And because this is 1994, Brainscan also features a banger of a soundtrack that we would be remiss not to mention. Working in tandem with the score by Mortal Kombat icon George S. Clinton and a diegetic feature for Trickster’s favorite band, Primus, the movie also features tracks from Mudhoney, White Zombie, Tad, Pitchshifter, and Butthole Surfers. Is the plaid and teenage angst in the attic bedroom with us right now? Yes. Yes, it is.
So, if you want a Halloween-appropriate watch that will feel fresh to anyone under 40 and achingly nostalgic to anyone who remembers the pre-internet-but-not-quite era, cue up Brainscan on Tubi. Clocking in at a beautiful 96 minutes, Brainscan is short, it’s strange, and it’s free, which means there is zero reason not to give one of the quirkiest cyber-horror relics ever a shot. Tell ‘em Trickster sent ya.
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