

A Shock to the System
Climbing the corporate ladder can be murder.
When experienced advertising executive Graham Marshall loses out on a promotion to a young man, he goes down in a path of vengeance.
TMDB
6.5/10
154 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- English
- new york city
- based on novel or book
- sailing
- lighter
- murder
- electrocution
- advertising executive
- advertising agency
- madison avenue
- corporate ladder
Top billed cast















Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalR23 Mar 1990
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1519 Dec 1990
- Physical159 Sept 2002
FranceFR
- TheatricalU3 Apr 1991
Frequently asked questions
A Shock to the System was released on 23 March 1990.
Audience reviews
3- J9/10
John Chard
11/15/2014
Graham has had enough of getting the shaft… A Shock to the System is directed by Jan Egleson and adapted to screenplay by Andrew Klavan from the novel written by Simon Brett. It stars Michael Caine, Elizabeth McGovern, Peter Riegert, Will Patton and Swoosie Kurtz. Music is by Gary Chang and cinematography by Paul Goldsmith. Graham Marshall (Caine) is once again overlooked for promotion and once again his harpy …
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
8/26/2023
I enjoyed this. "Graham" (Michael Caine) gets a bit narked when he is overlooked for promotion at work. When he heads home, he realises that that is just the beginning of his irritations - his wife "Leslie" (Swoosie Kurtz) nags him relentlessly! What to do? Well, his house has some dodgy electrics and whilst trying to restore the lights, he gets a mild electric shock. His "Eureka" moment is upon him - he can just eli…
- K8/10
kevin2019
3/2/2026
"A Shock to the System" is one of those films where you eventually find yourself rooting for the character - in this case Graham Marshall - who would ordinarily be considered the bad guy, especially in light of the fact he proceeds to murder all the key figures in his life who have gradually become obstacles frustrating his efforts at every turn to achieve his full professional potential. This excellent film has been…
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