Scanners Movies: Release Order
The Scanners franchise began with David Cronenberg's 1981 sci-fi horror film about individuals with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. The series explores themes of mind control, corporate manipulation, and the dark side of psychic power through visceral body horror and psychological tension.
This complete watch order includes all five films in the franchise, from Cronenberg's original masterpiece through the lower-budget sequels of the 1990s. While the later films don't match the artistic achievement of the original, they expand the Scanners universe across two distinct storylines: the main trilogy and the Scanner Cop spin-off films.
There are 2 other watch orders available - see the links up above.
Linear Timeline: Release Order = Story Order
Scanners
A man with dangerous telepathic abilities discovers he's part of a group called "scanners" who possess similar psychic powers. When a rogue faction of scanners plots world domination, he must join the fight to stop them.
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Scanners II: The New Order
A corrupt police commander recruits telepathic humans known as scanners to help him seize control of the city in this sci-fi thriller sequel.
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Scanners III: The Takeover
A young woman with telepathic scanner abilities becomes dangerously unstable after experimenting with her father's mind-altering drugs.
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Scanner Cop
A rookie police officer with telepathic scanning abilities must use his unique powers to stop a mad scientist who is using mind control to murder fellow cops.
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Scanner Cop II
A Scanner cop must come out of retirement to stop a ruthless psychic villain who is draining the life force from other Scanners to increase his own power.
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Other Film Series
Darkman
Sam Raimi's cult superhero-horror trilogy following a disfigured scientist who becomes a vigilante.
Godzilla
The legendary Japanese kaiju franchise spanning 70+ years across multiple eras and continuities.
Phantasm
A surreal horror franchise following young Mike Pearson and ice cream vendor Reggie in their ongoing battle against the interdimensional Tall Man and his deadly silver spheres.
The Purge
A dystopian horror franchise set in an America where all crime is legal for 12 hours once a year during an annual event called The Purge.
Tremors
Kevin Bacon and Michael Gross battle subterranean Graboids in this cult monster franchise spanning three decades.
Warlock
A supernatural horror trilogy featuring different standalone stories about malevolent warlocks, connected more by theme than narrative continuity.