Wow! Such a good movie.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

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.

In a time where succeeding at things is more important than just make something good and be satisfied with what you have and what you are "A Shock to the System" is the real article on how things go in our heads everyday when we don't get the things we want, or feel that we deserve them. The things we want to do with everyone in our way are greatly and humored to a certain extent by the character played by Michael Caine, an veteran executive that after not getting the job promotion he was hoping for, given to an incompetent and younger rival, starts to get rid off the people who are ruining his life and starts to concentrate his efforts in trying to be promoted. And there's time to have a small affair with his young and beautiful secretary (Elizabeth McGovern). By getting rid off, I mean in the Patrick Bateman style. To him those people, his demanding wife, his former colleague now current boss, they doesn't deserve to live.Viciously funny, well-acted and more relevant to our times than to the yuppie era when this was released, "A Shock to the System" is perhaps one of the finest examples of dark humor to ever be used on screen. It's not violent like one might think it could be, or ridiculously comical neither so serious. It makes good statements about the day to day pressures, the lack of reward one has while working hard at everything, but such statement is presented in a light and entertaining way. And it's such a pleasure to see Michael Caine carefully plan his actions and later desperately trying to get away with murder. The one involving his wife (Swoosie Kurtz) is priceless. It took some real time to make me laugh but when that part came in, with his reaction on the phone, I really knew I was watching something special. It's a electric and powerful performance in a underrated film. My only problem comes to the investigation led by Will Patton's character. It's too unlikely that he was the responsible for investigating the wife's "accidental" death and the boat explosion, just with the logic that there's too many deaths around Caine's character. The movie would benefit more without the detective character, or reduce to the minimum the coincidences of him following the executive. Here's a small film that accomplishes so much more than the big ones with larger than life budgets and no story to tell. This one has one to tell and it's a very good one. 9/10

Michael Caine plays a reasonably successful but disaffected middle-aged executive. He has a very good job and home--but he also has a wife who seems more interested in what his job will buy her and he isn't given a promotion EVERYONE thought he'd get. One day he is attacked by a homeless guy and accidentally kills him. Yet, despite happening at a subways stop in New York, no one sees this happen and he's able to just walk away from this like it never happened. However, oddly, instead of being saddened or scared by this event, Caine is thrilled! He starts to feel invulnerable...almost magical. So, after his wife pushes him too far, he experiments to see if once again he can get away with killing her, too. When this occurs, Caine decides he's pretty much invulnerable and decides to try his luck again...after all, killing can be like potato chips--you can't stop at just one! Talk about a bad mid-life crisis!! I am not sure if this is meant as a dark comedy or just a suspense film--all I know is that it made me laugh...and wonder just how many smart guys like Cains character do what he did and never get caught. Very well written and unique. It's certainly not a film for everyone--especially with its VERY unconventional ending, but I sure liked it and think it's an unnoticed little gem.By the way, on the DVD there is an alternate ending. This ending stank...so I really think they did the right thing sticking with the darker ending.

Almost effortlessly accomplished, A Shock to the System absolutely exudes confidence and remains a minor - if largely still unknown - classic. Caine is on real form as the tale's moral black hole, conjuring a performance of occasionally genuine surprise (witness Caine's hilarious reaction to his wife's death, or his utter bewilderment/rage over being passed over for promotion).With Gary Chang's dexterous score and the production's nimble, well-framed cinematography, it's one of those rare films that allows you to absolutely relax, confident that you are in good hands. A similar case could be made for Liliana Cavani's superb Ripley's Game which is charted by an equally immoral (but again highly satisfying) compass.