The Dead Zone

The Dead Zone (1983) is a Canadian-American thriller directed by David Cronenberg — watch it online on iFILM. Based on Stephen King's novel, it follows a schoolteacher who wakes from a five-year coma with an ability he never asked for and cannot switch off.

Johnny Smith, played by Christopher Walken, sees people's futures through physical contact. A handshake with a stranger shows him the man's death. A touch on a politician's hand reveals something far more catastrophic than a single life. Johnny must decide how far he's willing to go — and what it will cost him. Martin Sheen plays the charismatic candidate at the center of Johnny's darkest vision.

Cronenberg keeps the film stripped of excess, letting Walken carry the weight almost entirely on his face. The performance earned Walken a Saturn Award and remains one of the most understated in King adaptations. Stream The Dead Zone (1983) on iFILM.