IMDb RATING
6.6/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
When electrocuted by the fuse box at home, Graham gets ideas concerning his nagging wife and the guy, who got Graham's promotion at the office.When electrocuted by the fuse box at home, Graham gets ideas concerning his nagging wife and the guy, who got Graham's promotion at the office.When electrocuted by the fuse box at home, Graham gets ideas concerning his nagging wife and the guy, who got Graham's promotion at the office.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMichael Caine said of this movie in a 2002 interview with "Venice Magazine", "That was a lovely little film, but it was too small for its own good, really. It got lost. It was the sort of film, were it made today, that would be great as a film for HBO, or something. But at the time, it just got lost in the system."
- GoofsLt. Laker questions Stella and writes down his telephone number on a piece of notepad paper for her. Later, when she decides to call him, she has his business card.
- Quotes
Lieutenant Laker: He was your superior, wasn't he?
Graham Marshall: No, he was my boss.
Featured review
Watch out for that third rail, it's a killer
Michael Caine receives "A Shock to the System" in this 1990 black comedy also starring Swoosie Kurtz, Elizabeth McGovern, John McMartin, Will Patton, and Peter Riegert. Caine plays Graham Marshall, a New York ad exec on the verge of getting a huge new promotion as the company changes hands. Alas, the promotion goes to a younger man, Robert Benham (Peter Riegert). Frustrated and miserable, as Graham waits for the subway, he gets into a fight with a beggar and pushes the man, who lands on the tracks as the train arrives.
When Graham realizes that he probably committed murder and doesn't feel any different, he finds that murder is a great solution to some of his more vexing problems and starts dispensing with people one by one by various means. Then his involvement with a young woman (Elizabeth McGovern) leads to danger.
This is the blackest of comedies with a great performance by Michael Caine who manages to seem very likable throughout. Caine plays the role very seriously, as he should, and lets the humor come out in his actions. Peter Riegert as the new boss is someone you'd like to slap silly, and Swoosie Kurtz does a fine job playing Graham's annoying wife.
Recommended.
When Graham realizes that he probably committed murder and doesn't feel any different, he finds that murder is a great solution to some of his more vexing problems and starts dispensing with people one by one by various means. Then his involvement with a young woman (Elizabeth McGovern) leads to danger.
This is the blackest of comedies with a great performance by Michael Caine who manages to seem very likable throughout. Caine plays the role very seriously, as he should, and lets the humor come out in his actions. Peter Riegert as the new boss is someone you'd like to slap silly, and Swoosie Kurtz does a fine job playing Graham's annoying wife.
Recommended.
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- blanche-2
- Nov 13, 2011
- How long is A Shock to the System?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,417,056
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,002,158
- Mar 25, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $3,417,056
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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