EarDelightBase Waste of Money.

GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

zzzorf This wasn't a bad movie overall and while I didn't full in love it I would revisit it again. The storyline was simple and easy to follow and that simpleness was put to shame by having Caine as the lead actor, putting on a performance that made the movie better, just as you would expect.

writtenbymkm-583-902097 This is not a black comedy. It's not an anything comedy. There's not one funny, or even remotely funny, thing in the movie. It's an extremely boring and ultimately depressing movie about one of the most unlikable protagonists I've ever seen in a movie. In fact, I disliked every character, including the constantly smirking young girl who is unbelievably attracted to a guy old enough to be her grandfather. In fact, virtually every event and every character in this film were totally unbelievable, including a police detective who acted about as much like a detective as a turnip acts like a palm tree. Note to the sound mixer, it is amateurish and extremely annoying to have the music louder than the dialog. SPOILER ALERT -- The most depressing thing about this movie is the ending. I hated this guy and the only reason I kept watching was to see how he got caught, arrested, shot, killed, whatever, but -- SPOILER -- he doesn't. He does all these awful things and succeeds, and smirks, The End. Give me a break. One star is too many.

Martin Bradley Michael Caine made "A Shock to the System" in 1990 and I must have blinked and missed it, (me and a lot of others). He's Graham Marshall, a corporate businessman who is passed over for promotion in favour of his hot-shot subordinate Peter Riegert. Naturally, he doesn't take this too well. In fact, he feels that he's cursed in some way and he really should do something about it. As it turns out, "A Shock to the System" is a deliciously funny and dark comedy about a man who will go to any lengths, including murder, if it means getting ahead and Caine is terrific, (it's actually one of his best performances), and he's backed by an equally terrific supporting cast. Riegert is superbly slimy as Caine's new boss; then there's Elizabeth McGovern as the colleague who takes a shine to him, Swoosie Kurtz as his social-climbing wife, John McMartin as the out-going head of department and Will Patton as a very inquisitive cop. The director was Jon Egelson who doesn't revert to any tricks to tell his tale but rather relies on the quality of his material and his cast and it and they don't let him down.

blanche-2 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.