The Sender

Roger Christian's 1982 horror movie has its share of shock effects—including a decapitation, and abrupt appearances by hordes of insects and rodents—but for the most part it's a more cerebral sort of thriller about the titular unnamed amnesiac (Željko Ivanek) who is committed to a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide. Here, it becomes apparent to his doctor, Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold), that he's a telepath, unable to control his ability to transmit his own nightmares to other people—particularly her. The appearance of his strangely unperturbed mother (Shirley Knight) adds to the mystery, while another doctor's decision to try electroshock therapy proves to have a negative effect—sending horrifying images throughout the hospital that affect patients and staff alike. The Sender is not a forgotten masterpiece—the visuals speak to a modest budget, and Roger Pratt's cinematography features the somewhat blurry look that characterizes many films from the ‘80. But thanks to Thomas Baum's literate script and some excellent performances (especially Ivanek's), this is worth rediscovering. Recommended. (F. Swietek)