Brainstorm is by no means a great film, but it is a quite interesting one. On the plus side, it's a late-noir entry that plays around with the idea of the thin line between sanity and insanity in an intriguing manner. Actor William Conrad put on his director's hat for this low budget effort, and that's also a good thing: he has a very sure feel for the material, and his crisp, sturdy direction is surprisingly effective and decidedly atmospheric. He's aided by a quirky, somewhat jazzy score from George Duning; by a very capable cast, including a much-better-than-expected Jeffrey Hunter, a delectable Anne Francis and a solid Dana Andrews; and by some fine Sam Leavitt lensing. All these assets, however, can't quite overcome the screenplay, which has one of the most contrived premises and plotlines one can imagine. Even if one accepts the ridiculous "let's pretend I'm crazy so I can kill but beat the rap" premise, the rest of the plot and the dialogue will still let you down. Still, its good points make it worth catching, especially for crime/noir fans.