Movies Like Scanners (1981)

Scanners is a 1981 horror, science fiction film from David Cronenberg with a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover.

Horror Science Fiction

Scanners II: The New Order

1991

A breed of humans with dangerously powerful telepathic abilities -- the scanners -- are being recruited by a corrupt police commander, John Forrester, in his crusade to take over the city.

5.2

MagicScore

Scanners III: The Takeover

1992

A young scanner with extraordinary telepathic powers transforms into a lethal killing machine after taking one of her father's experimental drugs.

4.4

MagicScore

Listening

2015

For years, we have tried to harness the power of the human mind… and failed. Now, one breakthrough will change everything. Beyond technology. Beyond humanity. Beyond control. David, Ryan, and Jordan hope the telepathy invention will solve all their problems, but the bleeding-edge technology opens a Pandora’s box of new dangers, as the team discovers that when they open their minds, there is nowhere to hide their thoughts.

5.7

MagicScore

Psychic Killer

1975

Mental patient Arnold Masters, hospitalized for a murder he didn't commit, learns astral projection--the art of leaving one's physical body and transporting the soul someplace else--from a fellow inmate. Upon his release, Arnold uses his new powers to bump off the people he holds responsible for his arrest, his mother's death while he was imprisoned and the price of meat! Lt. Morgan and Lt. Anderson are the cops on his trail, while his caring shrink, Dr. Scott, tries to prevent any more deaths.

5.2

MagicScore

The Power

1968

One by one members of a special project team are being killed by telekinesis - the ability to move things with the power of the mind alone. The race is on to determine which of the remaining team members is the murderer and to stop them.

6.2

MagicScore

Suspiria

2018

A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.

6.9

MagicScore

Pacific Rim: Uprising

2018

It has been ten years since The Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the next generation of heroes when the Kaiju threat returns.

6.1

MagicScore

The Man from Planet X

1951

While watching for a planet that may collide with earth, scientists stationed in Scotland are approached by a visitor from outer space.

5.8

MagicScore

Cyborg 2087

1966

In the future world of the year 2087, freedom of thought is illegal and the thoughts of the world's populations are controlled by the government. A small band of "free thinkers" send a cyborg back in time to the year 1966 to prevent a scientist from making the breakthrough that will eventually lead to the mass thought control of the future. Our time traveler soon discovers he is not alone when government agents from the future try to prevent him from carrying out his mission.

5.8

MagicScore

#10

Lucy

2014

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.

6.5

MagicScore

#11

Species II

1998

Having just returned from a mission to Mars, Commander Ross isn't exactly himself. He's slowly becoming a terrifying alien entity with one goal -- to procreate with human women! When countless women suffer gruesome deaths after bearing half-alien offspring, scientist Laura Baker and hired assassin Press Lennox use Eve, a more tempered alien clone, to find Ross and his brood. Before long Eve escapes to mate with Ross.

5.2

MagicScore

#12

Man-Made Monster

1941

Mad scientist turns a man into an electrically-controlled monster to do his bidding.

6.1

MagicScore

#13

Firestarter

1984

Charlene "Charlie" McGee has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from the threatening government agency which wants to destroy her?

6.3

MagicScore

#14

Firestarter

2022

For more than a decade, parents Andy and Vicky have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family's location, a mysterious operative is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.

5.5

MagicScore

#15

Patrick

1978

A comatose hospital patient harasses and kills through his powers of telekinesis to claim his private nurse as his own.

6.1

MagicScore

#16

Making Contact

1985

A nine year old boy named Joey, who after the tragic death of his father, begins to experience psychic powers such as allowing him to move inanimate objects with his mind, set things on fire, and even communicate with his dead father. However, not everything is good for Joey as his newly gained powers accidentally awake an evil supernatural force that is contained inside the body of an old ventriloquist's dummy that Joey found in an abandoned house. The supernatural Dummy shows similar powers to Joey's, and soon he puts the lives of everyone near Joey in danger as the evil Dummy has dark plans for Joey's special powers.

5.5

MagicScore

#17

Patrick Still Lives

1980

A group of strangers are summoned to the secluded home of Patrick, a young man rendered comatose after a freak accident, but soon find themselves falling victim to Patrick's mysterious psychic powers and murderous rage.

5.2

MagicScore

#18

Patrick

2013

Patrick lays comatose in a small private hospital, his only action being his involuntary spitting. When a pretty young nurse, just separated from her husband, begins work at the hospital, she senses that Patrick is communicating with her, and he seems to be using his psychic powers to manipulate events in her life.

5.0

MagicScore

#19

The Shining

1980

Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.

8.2

MagicScore

#20

The Fury

1978

When a devious plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza from his son, Robin, the distraught father manages to see through the ruse. Taken because of his psychic abilities, Robin is being held by Ben Childress, who is studying people with supernatural powers in hopes of developing their talents as weapons. Soon Peter pairs up with Gillian, a teen who has telekinesis, to find and rescue Robin.

6.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Scanners?

The top films similar to Scanners by MovieMagicScore are Scanners II: The New Order (5.2), Scanners III: The Takeover (4.4), Listening (5.7). Each shares horror/science fiction themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Scanners worth watching?

Scanners holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10 from 1,289 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Scanners?

Scanners (1981) is a horror, science fiction film directed by David Cronenberg, starring Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill, Michael Ironside.

Where can I find more recommendations like Scanners?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more horror recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Scanners II: The New Order Movies like Scanners III: The Takeover Movies like Listening Movies like Psychic Killer Movies like The Power Movies like Suspiria

About movies like Scanners

This ranked list pairs Scanners (1981), a horror and science fiction film from David Cronenberg, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Stephen Lack take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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