Strung together like installments of a TV series, which is what this material eventually became. Released the same year as Christine and Cujo, The Dead Zone is one of the better attempts to bring Stephen King's work to the screen, and features a superb performance from Christopher Walken which is the best thing about the film; his performance holds the film together. Directed by David Cronenberg, the film lacks momentum, the episodes don't really connect and they often feel incomplete and rushed and there's too much of Martin Sheen's villain. A subplot featuring a concerned parent who refuses to heed the psychic's warning makes no sense. There are some jolts and suspense as we wait for Walken to grasp someone's hand in order to get a startling vision, thus making the film somewhat predictable. A somber, downbeat film with an unhappy and reluctant hero, The Dead Zone is compelling and definitely recommended.
Review of The Dead Zone
