The Brain

Jim Majelewski is caught flushing sodium down a school toilet and is given a warning that he faces suspension and possible graduation failure if he keeps pranking. As an alternative to punishment, he reluctantly agrees to join Dr. Blake's Independent Thinking program. He soon becomes subject to Blake's experiments.

Jim is brought into Blake's lab as part of the program and undergoes the methods designed to promote independent thinking. He remains immune due to his exceptional intelligence and a fantasy-prone mind, which blunts Blake's control. The experiments hint at the alien presence behind The Brain.

During the procedures, Jim experiences vivid visions of The Brain and other unsettling hallucinations. The alien influence looms behind Blake's operation and drives Jim to resist. These visions set the stage for his pushback against the brainwashing.

Jim is aided by his girlfriend Janet and his best friend Willie as they try to break Blake's hold and free the town. Blake's assistant Verna pursues Jim, aiming to recapture him and restore the lab's control. The trio begins actively resisting the program's reach.

During the efforts to resist, The Brain abducts and kills Willie, removing Jim's closest ally at a crucial moment. Jim and Janet press on, aware that the stakes are escalating. The community's fear feeds Blake's power through control and manipulation.

The Brain, aided by Verna, brainwashes the townspeople into believing Jim is a murderous rampage. Janet and Jim's parents also fall victim to the mind-control, turning against him. The town becomes a barrier to Jim's attempts to expose the truth.

With the town under Blake's sway, Jim returns to Blake's headquarters where Blake intends to broadcast Independent Thinking to a nationwide audience. Jim and Janet recognize the threat and begin coordinating a final stand. The plan to spread the control across the country intensifies the danger.

In a climactic moment, Jim beheads Blake in front of a live audience, revealing that Blake's movement was controlled by The Brain and that he was not human. The crowd's faith fractures as the true nature of the program is exposed. Jim's act marks a turning point in the struggle.

After Blake's death, The Brain breaks loose and kills Verna, eliminating Blake's most dedicated ally. Jim and Janet must scramble to escape the now-uncontained threat. The alien entity shifts its focus directly to Jim and Janet.

Cornered, Jim and Janet are pursued by The Brain as they flee the wrecked facility and the town's chaos. They fight to survive while The Brain's influence continues to spread. The chase leads them toward a final confrontation.

Cornered, Jim finds a canister of sodium and pours it into The Brain's mouth, triggering a violent explosion that destroys the alien entity. The explosion disrupts Blake's former influence and ends the immediate threat. Jim and Janet begin to rebuild their lives afterward.

Jim returns to a normal life with his parents, free from the brainwashing and manipulation. He and Janet ride off to school together, signaling a return to ordinary teenage life. The events leave a lasting impact but restore their bond and future.