Shock Treatment

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Jonathan K @NojEsco Mar 4, 2026 This is, like its predecessor, sort of a free-associative movie, essentially creating the experience of suddenly finding yourself in a place that's completely beyond understanding, and somehow there's no way out. The trouble is, while Rocky Horror ultimately played it in a timeless fashion, and was ultimately about nothing but the situation itself, Shock Treatment feels solely locked to the 80s, and also appears to try to be about something, but that message is pretty much lost. Essentially, it's about the contrast of Network TV & Commercialism vs Small Town Life, and it works okay, but it's hard to tell if there's meaning to it, or if it's just a backdrop to the story. On that note, the story is even more nonsensical and "all a blur" than Rocky Horror, and truthfully, while some songs are pretty great, many are forgettable. Worst is that Brad & Janet are falling apart, but they actually share almost no scenes together, making all feel a bit... hopeless for them, in multiple ways. See more Andrew S @RT74661389 Nov 11, 2025 Does it have its issues? Sure! But so does its predecessor. What it lacks in dynamic shots and choreography I think it makes up for in music and oddity. No one ever agrees with me on this but I firmly believe the music here is at least AS good as Rocky Horror...maybe even better. I listen to this soundtrack all the time and I only listen to Rocky Horror when I watch the movie, usually around Halloween. O'Brien is just a really good songwriter with really weird ideas. The performances are also all stellar. Jessica Harper plays Janet VERY differently from Sarandon and it totally works. Cliff DeYoung can sing in two different voices? Hell, even the Charles Gray more to work with....there's just a lot to like about it. It also accidentally predicted reality TV and I feel that's not mentioned enough. Maybe if this movie hadn't gotten such a poor release and reception, I'd be more critical but...the stuff that works here is really good and overshadows my complaints. See more John K @WQCMI Sep 19, 2025 Its got some memorable moments, mostly from Richard O'Brien and Rik Mayall, and the set designs are very creative. However, there's some awful acting and some of the songs are terrible. See more Nick O @Nicki1985 Jun 6, 2025 This underrated sequel to Rocky Horror gets almost no love on all fronts, but I am here to tell you that it takes the same campy vibe to a whole other level of weirdness and it is absolutely worth the trip! See more Kristy S @Thejudger47 Jan 18, 2025 It's not a great spin off movie to the Rocky Horror Picture show. It has no sense of direction. It totally makes no sense when I first watched it I knew off the bat it was a dumb. It really makes no sense. Yes three of the characters from the Rocky Horror picture show is in this movie but it has no sense of direction though. Jessica Harper's character really did not benefit her acting. It's truly a delusional movie. I mean the music is fun and interesting but I can't say this is the best movie I saw ever. It does have a 80's vibe to it but it's not that great. I liked the Rocky horror picture show and no spin off will ever replace that. See more daniel s @RT03888704 Oct 29, 2024 You have to go into this without comparing it to the Rocky Horror Show/ Picture Show. You have to remember that the Rocky Horror Picture Show is a film adaptation of a musical stage production. Shock Treatment did not have the luxury of testing its content with live audiences for years. If you read up on the production backstory on how the writer's strike impacted filmmaking at the time, it is amazing Shock Treatment even got "finished." I was fortunate enough to read an original copy of this film's screenplay and damn, it would have been something excellent had the strike not occurred. Yet, the production team, company, actors, and financiers were dead set on completing this film with limited resources. They did their very best with what they had. Fast forward 20 or 30 years and the story and production has more relevance than ever before. Not only will you find fantastic lyrics and ingenious set design, but also a message that resonates with us in modern times than it ever did before in the early 80's. It's been said more than once, and I will say it again, Richard O'Brien, Jim Sharman, and Richard Hartley were ahead of their times. Give it a try. It's not a movie. It is an experience. See more Read all reviews

Shock Treatment

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