Shock

Modern Messiah Malcolm Stevens back in his familiar padded cell, has lost lady love Gwen (Jeanna Fine). Malcolm still has a problem projecting himself into his own fantasies and is, at first almost subliminally, replaced by tattooed muscle boy John Decker. In the Noble Asylum's control room, Dr. Hellstrom (Ona Zee) is browsing through the reports of missing Lillian Mangrove (Tyffany Million), the now catatonic Stevens' psychiatrist who went missing right after first examining him. She has been found in a state of severe shock, nursed back to health at the institution and is currently running a psycho-tracking agency, kicking serious nut case butt in attempts to retrieve runaway crazies. Subscribing to the beneficial qualities of shock treatment, Hellstrom reactivates Stevens who drags an innocent young nurse tellingly also named Gwen (Shayla LaVeaux) into the dark recesses of his twisted mind, vowing to free her only if the doctors agree to discharge him from their madhouse.

Directed by Michael Ninn, Shock leans on a strong ensemble — Jeanna Fine, Jon Dough, Ona Zee — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about science fiction titles of 1996.