Synopsis
Madison Avenue executive Graham Marshall has paid his dues. A talented and devoted worker, he has suffered through mounting bills and a nagging wife with one thing to look forward to: a well-deserved promotion. But when the promotion is given to a loud-mouthed yuppie associate, Graham unleashes his rage on an overly aggressive panhandler, who he accidently kills by pushing him into the path of an oncoming subway train. He re-thinks his problems with an entirely new solution. First, he arranges an "accident" for his annoying wife. Then he creates another "mishap" for his boss. It seems like the world is once more Graham's oyster…but a missing cigarette lighter and a prying police detective may change all that.
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Cast
- Michael CaineGraham Marshall
- Elizabeth McGovernStella Anderson
- Peter RiegertRobert Benham
- Swoosie KurtzLeslie Marshall
- Will PattonLt. Laker
- Jenny WrightMelanie O'Conner
- John McMartinGeorge Brewster
- Barbara BaxleyLillian
- Haviland MorrisTara Liston
- Philip MoonHenry Park
Recommendations
- 100
Entertainment Weekly
The movie is juicy fun, a high comedy about the personality of power. - 100
Orlando Sentinel
A Shock to the System, a dark comedy with the structure of a thriller, is delightfully hard-edged. [23 Apr 1990, p.C1] - 90
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
A Shock to the System is a beautiful, subtle satire of corporate America, providing a fresh slant on the visceral nastiness hovering beneath the glossy surface. The tension in the film is superb, swelling and receding with just the right degrees of intensity and the plot has enough unanticipated twists to provide thrills right until the end. [13 Oct 1990] - 80
Los Angeles Times
What’s remarkable is that you come away from the movie laughing at Graham’s murderous indiscretions and yet you’re frightened by them too. Caine makes you taste the ashes in this black comedy. - 80
Time Out
Seldom have Caine's cobra eyes been used to better effect; it's a chilling tale, cleanly directed. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
A Shock to the System confounds our expectations and keeps us intrigued, because there's no way to know, not even in the very last moments, exactly which way the plot is going to fall. - 75
Boston Globe
When a tone is sustained as confidently and with as many delicious flourishes as A Shock to the System manages, and the screen is filled with characterful performances, it's a sign the director is doing something right. [23 Mar 1990, p.46p] - 70
Washington Post
An amusing debut for both the writer and director, who benefit from Caine's tongue and cheeky turn as the unbuttoned-down Graham.
