David Cronenberg: All 21 Films Ranked From Worst To Best

11. The Dead Zone

Every film from here on in is classic Cronenberg. The order basically just boils down to personal preference, really. The first is The Dead Zone, the Christopher Walken-starring adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel. It's basically a study of psychic potential, with Walken's character capable of seeing the future, and an exploration of the impact that would have on someone's life. It's not Cronenberg's greatest adaptation (Naked Lunch, Spider and Crash are superior), but it's a pretty good take on King's novel. Walken is exceptional at its core, both literally and symbolically straddling two worlds (the real and the "dead zone"). This is one of the most complex explorations on internal struggles that Cronenberg has ever presented, which is testament to both the source material and his own ability to wield it. It suffers slightly from, again, not being as "shocking" as some of Cronenberg's absolute greatest works. It hasn't aged brilliantly, with many films taking similar themes and running with them. But it's still a great watch, and was pretty innovative on its release. Fun fact: lead character Johnny Smith was originally meant to be played by Bill Murray (King's choice for the role), not Walken.