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Scanners II: The New Order (1991) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Scanners II: The New Order (1991) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
1991 · 100 mins · English
JustWatch #21,337 2
Directed by
Christian Duguay
Starring
David Hewlett, Dorothée Berryman, Mark Camacho, Tyrone Benskin, Tom Butler, Anthony Ulc

Ten years after the original events, a new generation of scanners—humans born with terrifying, uncontrollable telepathic powers—find themselves exploited. Corrupt police commander John Forrester recruits them to advance his violent crusade to seize control of the city, using their abilities for his own ends.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (5)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Scanners II: The New Order
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Scanners II: The New Order (1991)

Where can you watch Scanners II: The New Order? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and myfilmfriend: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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5 main characters · contains spoilers

Scanners II: The New Order Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Scanners II: The New Order (1991), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • David Kellum (David Hewlett)

    A young veterinarian intern who discovers he can read and control minds. His powers initially overwhelm him as he moves from a rural setting to the city, but he increasingly uses them to assist law enforcement. He experiences a moral struggle when pressured to influence political outcomes and must decide where his allegiance lies—between protecting people and becoming a tool for authority.

    • 🧠 Telepathy
    • 🧭 Moral conflict
    • 👨‍⚕️ Healer
  • Julie Vale (Deborah Raffin)

    David’s older sister and ally who reveals their family history and David’s ties to the Scanner lineage. She helps David navigate the dangers posed by Forrester and the secret projects, demonstrating courage and resourcefulness. Julie plays a crucial role in coordinating the plan to dismantle the conspirators’ operation.

    • 👩‍👧 Family ally
    • 🧭 Loyal
    • 🩺 Empathy
  • Commander John Forrester (Yvan Ponton)

    A power-driven leader who seeks to control the city through the illegal use of Scanner abilities. He manipulates political structures, including forcing the mayor’s hand, to consolidate power and deny the existence of Scanners publicly. His willingness to eliminate opponents makes him a dangerous antagonist.

    • ⚖️ Authority
    • 🧠 Manipulation
    • 🔒 Control
  • Peter Drak (Raoul Max Trujillo)

    A more aggressive Scanner who operates under Forrester and serves as a catalyst for conflict. He exercises force and uses Eph2 to destabilize David, becoming a direct threat. Drak’s confrontations accelerate the plot toward a climactic showdown.

    • 🧠 Aggression
    • 💊 Experimentation
    • 🗡️ Threat
  • Mayor (Dorothée Berryman)

    The city mayor who is pressured into naming Forrester, becoming entangled in the conspiracy at the heart of the plot. Her role highlights the vulnerability of political figures to manipulation by those with psychic powers. Her fate underscores the high stakes of the power struggle.

    • 🏛️ Leadership
    • 🗳️ Public image
    • ⚖️ Abuse of power

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:52

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Setting

Where and When Does Scanners II: The New Order Take Place?

The setting of Scanners II: The New Order (1991): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Location

City

The story unfolds in a modern city with a visible political structure and a shadowy scientific underbelly. The urban environment features a mayor’s office, a police headquarters, and a secret facility where experiments on Scanners occur. Key locations include the mayor's office, the police precinct, and Forrester's hidden compound.

  • 🏙️ City setting
  • 🗺️ Urban landscape

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:52

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3 major themes

Scanners II: The New Order Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Scanners II: The New Order (1991) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Mind Control

    The film centers on the ethical hazards of mental influence, showing how authorities attempt to wield Scanner powers to shape crime-fighting and governance. It examines the seductive lure of absolute control and the moral costs of manipulating others for perceived safety. David’s struggle to use his abilities responsibly versus being exploited by those in power drives the emotional core of the story.

  • Family Origins

    Identity and belonging emerge as David learns about his adoption and discovers his sister Julie Vale. The siblings’ reunion reveals a shared legacy of power and danger, tying personal history to a broader conspiracy. Their cooperation underscores the theme that family bonds can motivate resistance against oppressive forces.

  • Drug Dependency

    Ep2, a variant of Ephemerol, is depicted as a tool to calm or subdue Scanners, highlighting how a drug can be weaponized for control. The addictive nature of the drug complicates ethics for both users and enforcers, blurring lines between medicine and manipulation. The drug’s influence intensifies the central conflict between autonomy and domination.

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:52

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Character & theme questions

Scanners II: The New Order Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Scanners II: The New Order (1991): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

What are Scanners in this movie

Scanners are humans born with powerful telepathic abilities, including mind reading and mental control. In this film, they are exploited by authorities who want to use their powers for political control and crime-fighting. Their abilities make them both valuable and dangerous to those seeking power.

  • scanners
  • telepathy
  • mind reading
  • psychic powers
Q2

Who is Commander John Forrester

John Forrester is a corrupt police commander who seeks to control the city by weaponizing Scanners for his own political ambitions. He manipulates the mayor and uses illegal Scanner abilities to consolidate power, eliminating anyone who threatens his plans. He represents the film's exploration of how authority can be abused for absolute control.

  • john forrester
  • police commander
  • villain
  • antagonist
Q3

Who is David Kellum

David Kellum is a young veterinarian intern who discovers he is a Scanner with powerful telepathic abilities. He transitions from a rural life to the city where his powers draw him into conflict with Forrester. His moral struggle forms the emotional core as he chooses between protecting people and becoming a tool of authority.

  • david kellum
  • protagonist
  • main character
  • veterinarian
Q4

What is the Mind Control theme about in Scanners II

The film explores the ethical hazards of mental influence, showing how authorities attempt to use Scanner powers to shape crime-fighting and governance. It examines the seductive lure of absolute control and the moral costs of manipulating others for perceived safety. David's struggle to use his abilities responsibly versus being exploited drives this central theme.

  • mind control
  • ethics
  • psychic powers
  • authority
  • manipulation
Q5

Who is Julie Vale

Julie Vale is David's older sister who helps him discover their shared Scanner lineage and family history. She reveals his adoption and helps him navigate the dangers posed by Forrester's conspiracy. Her courage and resourcefulness are crucial in coordinating the plan to dismantle the operation.

  • julie vale
  • sister
  • ally
  • family scanner lineage
Q6

What is the Family Origins theme about

Identity and belonging emerge as David learns about his adoption and discovers his sister Julie Vale. Their reunion reveals a shared legacy of power and danger, tying personal history to a broader conspiracy. Their cooperation shows that family bonds can motivate resistance against oppressive forces.

  • family
  • identity
  • adoption
  • belonging
  • conspiracy
Q7

Who is Peter Drak

Peter Drak is an aggressive Scanner who works under Forrester and serves as a direct threat to David. He uses force and the drug Eph2 to destabilize Scanner communities, becoming a catalyst for conflict. His confrontations with David drive the plot toward its climactic showdown.

  • peter drak
  • antagonist
  • scanner
  • villain
Q8

What is Eph2 in the movie

Eph2 is a variant of the drug Ephemerol, depicted as a tool to calm or subdue Scanners. It can be weaponized for control, complicating ethics for both users and enforcers. The drug blurs lines between medicine and manipulation, intensifying the conflict between autonomy and domination.

  • eph2
  • drug
  • ephemerol
  • addiction
  • control
Q9

What role does the Mayor play in the story

The Mayor is the city's political leader who is pressured by Forrester into naming him to power. Her vulnerability to manipulation by those with psychic powers highlights the corruption at the heart of the city's political structure. Her entanglement in the conspiracy underscores the high stakes of the power struggle.

  • mayor
  • political figure
  • manipulation
  • corruption
Q10

Where is Scanners II set

The story unfolds in a modern city with a visible political structure and a shadowy scientific underbelly. Key locations include the mayor's office, police headquarters, and Forrester's hidden compound where Scanner experiments occur. The urban environment creates a stark contrast between public authority and secret exploitation.

  • city setting
  • urban landscape
  • police headquarters
  • mayors office
Q11

What is the Drug Dependency theme about

The film depicts how a drug called Eph2 can be weaponized to control Scanners, highlighting the blurred line between medicine and manipulation. The addictive nature of the drug complicates the ethics for both users and enforcers. This theme intensifies the central conflict between individual autonomy and domination by powerful forces.

  • drug dependency
  • eph2
  • addiction
  • control
  • autonomy
Q12

What genres does Scanners II combine

Scanners II blends Science Fiction, Action, and Horror genres. The science fiction element comes from the telepathic Scanner abilities and futuristic themes of psychic power. The action involves frequent confrontations and betrayals, while horror emerges from the psychological manipulation and violent threats inherent to Scanner abilities.

  • science fiction
  • action
  • horror
  • genre
  • blend

Movie threads

More Movies Like Scanners II: The New Order, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Scanners II: The New Order tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about immense power and corruption like Scanners II: The New Order

Characters burdened with immense, dangerous powers they must learn to control. If you liked the struggle with telepathic abilities in Scanners II: The New Order, explore this collection of movies about characters grappling with immense power. These films feature individuals whose extraordinary gifts become a heavy burden, forcing them to confront moral corruption and fight for their own identity.

  • suspenseful
  • anxious
  • revelatory
  • corrupt
  • paranoid
  • violent
  • Tone: tense, oppressive
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist who is initially vulnerable or unaware of their potential. They are thrust into a conflict where their newfound power is both a key asset and a source of immense danger, often exploited by corrupt figures. The journey involves learning control, confronting the ethical dilemmas their power creates, and ultimately using it to forge a new, positive purpose.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share the central theme of a character wrestling with the responsibility of a formidable ability. They create a tense, heavy atmosphere focused on internal moral conflict as much as external threats, often set against a backdrop of systemic exploitation.

Thrillers about fighting systemic corruption like Scanners II: The New Order

One individual must expose and dismantle a deeply ingrained conspiracy of power. Fans of the corrupt police conspiracy in Scanners II: The New Order will find more gripping tales here. Discover films where a single hero uncovers a deep-seated conspiracy within a powerful organization and must risk everything to bring the truth to light and stop the abusive regime.

  • conspiracy
  • paranoid
  • suspenseful
  • violent
  • anxious
  • revelatory
  • Tone: tense, suspenseful
  • Pacing: fast, action-packed
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot often begins with the protagonist working within or trusting the corrupt system. A key event reveals the horrifying truth, forcing them to become a fugitive or rogue agent. They must gather evidence and allies, leading to a climactic confrontation where they publicly expose the conspiracy, often at great personal cost.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared narrative of a powerful, corrupt organization and the lone hero who challenges it. They deliver a tense, fast-paced experience with high stakes, frequent action, and a emotionally heavy but ultimately hopeful resolution where truth prevails.

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Every angle

Scanners II: The New Order (1991) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Scanners II: The New Order in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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