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Shock Treatment (1981)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Jim Sharman

Producer:

John Goldstone

Writer:

Richard O'Brien

Release Date:

Oct 13, 1981

Runtime:

1hr 34m

Synopsis

Janet and Brad become contestants on a game show and wind up as captives.

Cast

  • Jessica Harper
  • Cliff De Young
  • Richard O'Brien
  • Patricia Quinn
  • Charles Gray
  • Ruby Wax
  • Nell Campbell
  • Rik Mayall
  • Barry Humphries
  • Darlene Johnson

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.2
19.2K
10.7K
5.8K
RATINGS 266 FANS
3.2
  • Aug 5, 2017

    i would die for jessica harper

    674 Likes
    👽 Zara 👽
    👽 Zara 👽
    Oct 20, 2016

    CW: mental illness mention, Rocky Horror The missing link between Rocky Horror and Twin Peaks in atmosphere; the missing link between Rocky Horror and The Truman Show in ideas. (I don't truck with calling this a pseudo-sequel--this is just what happened with Brad and…

    493 Likes
    Sally Jane Black
    Sally Jane Black
    Jul 1, 2025

    The Valley (2025): Jax goes to “the facility”

    254 Likes
    sarah squirm
    sarah squirm
  •
    Oct 8, 2021

    Remember when Brian Wilson went insane trying to follow up Pet Sounds.

    238 Likes
    MenOnFilm
    MenOnFilm
    May 15, 2016

    i would die for this movie and i would die for patricia quinn

    226 Likes
    vi
    vi
    Oct 2, 2024

    First time watching in like 20 years. I’m not even sure I ever finished it back when I was 15 and obsessed with Rocky Horror. It was so hard to find in those days and I only was ever able to find a really shitty VHS rip on Limewire. Watching it in crystal clear 4K tonight…

    218 Likes
    Vera Drew
    Vera Drew
  •
    Jun 3, 2021

    why are richard o brien and patricia quinn always playing incestuous siblings 🤔

    205 Likes
    eileen🫀
    eileen🫀
    Jul 14, 2025

    Shock treatment is a pretty bold and ambitious somewhat sequel to the rocky horror picture show but is somehow pretty jarring at the same time and is more of a mixed result but still manages to stand out as a unique project. The film uses many of the same actors of the…

    151 Likes
    Sam
    Sam
    Jan 26, 2015

    Now that I actually have the time to formulate a better review (and I've watched it for the umpteenth millionth time): Shock Treatment might've seemed like the worst idea at the time, but really, it's much better than the movie it's claimed to be a direct sequel/equal…

    137 Likes
    Sammi
    Sammi
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

77%
Community 216
❤️ LOVE
33%
👍 LIKE
44%
😐 MEH
18%
👎 DISLIKE
4%
Top Reviews
  • Orlando Ramone
    Orlando Ramone liked
    Shock Treatment

    Such an underrated sequel to “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. The songs are great and in some cases better than the original. Jessica Harper, from Dario Argento’s Suspiria, is an excellent singer.

    🔥 2 3Y
    Vank14a
    Vank14a liked
    Shock Treatment

    As a sequel to Rocky Horror it had almost nothing to do with it but Jessica Harper and Richard O'Brien's music made it as fun and unique as Rocky Horror.

    2 7M
    victor
    victor loved
    Shock Treatment

    the more i rewatch and listen to it the more i realize i love it sm.

    2Y
  • Asmodeus
    Asmodeus loved
    Shock Treatment

    Words cannot describe the greatness that is this movie

    2Y
    Trinity
    Trinity liked
    Shock Treatment

    Very funny, and I loved the songs.

    2Y
    Ghost
    Ghost loved
    Shock Treatment

    Weird and insane love it

    1Y
  • Rylie
    Rylie liked
    Shock Treatment

    I love Richard O’Brien

    4M
    Jordan
    Jordan liked
    Shock Treatment

    Goofy and weird

    1Y
View More Popular Shock Treatment Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

36
metacritic
Based on 7 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (2)

No score yet based on 2 Reviews
40

Cowering in the shadow of the Picture Show, this sequel of sorts builds on none of the risks take by its predecessor.

View full review
Metacritic review by William Thomas
William Thomas
Empire
42

The film looks great, with vivid colors and sharp, snappy staging, but its 92 minutes drag by interminably. Tim Curry in fishnets might have helped, but a coherent storyline would have been far better.

View full review
Metacritic review by Tasha Robinson
Tasha Robinson
The A.V. Club
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shock Treatment (1981) (1981) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG (Parental Guidance Suggested). It's generally considered a family-friendly movie.
How long is Shock Treatment (1981) (1981)?
The movie is 1hr 34min long.
What's Shock Treatment (1981) (1981) about?
Janet and Brad become contestants on a game show and wind up as captives.
Who's the cast of Shock Treatment (1981) (1981)?
  • Jessica Harper as Janet Majors
  • Cliff De Young as Brad Majors, Farley Flavors
  • Richard O'Brien as Dr. Cosmo McKinley
  • Patricia Quinn as Dr. Nation McKinley
  • Charles Gray as Judge Oliver Wright
  • Ruby Wax as Betty Hapschatt
  • Nell Campbell as Nurse Ansalong
  • Rik Mayall as 'Rest Home' Ricky
  • Barry Humphries as Bert Schnick
  • Darlene Johnson as Emily Weiss
Who's the director behind Shock Treatment (1981) (1981)?
Jim Sharman directed Shock Treatment (1981) (1981).
Who produced Shock Treatment (1981) (1981)?
John Goldstone produced Shock Treatment (1981) (1981).