The Lawnmower Man

The Lawnmower Man (1992) is a sci-fi horror film you can watch online on iFILM. Researcher Lawrence Angelo picks the gentle, slow-witted yard worker Jobe as the subject for his experiments in virtual reality.

A mix of drugs and computer training rockets Jobe's mind toward genius. At first it plays like a miracle: the neighborhood outcast gains speech, sharp memory, even telekinesis. Then the military quietly muscles into the project with its own agenda, and Jobe's new powers curdle into a hunger for godlike control. Pierce Brosnan plays the obsessed Angelo, while Jeff Fahey carries the film as Jobe, whose shift from victim to threat is the real engine here. A young Dean Norris turns up in a small role.

Director Brett Leonard's movie is best remembered for its VR sequences, whose early-1990s computer graphics felt like a glimpse of the future. The tagline says it all: God made him simple, science made him a god. Stream The Lawnmower Man (1992) online on iFILM.