The Lawnmower Man, unlike the Stephen King short story it’s based on, is not about a homicidal satyr.
The film adaptation that turns 30 this month is instead a warning and absurd expansion on what at the time was still a fairly nascent technology, virtual reality. The titular “Lawnmower Man” is experimented on by being thrust into VR simulations that over time, boost his intelligence, give him psychic powers, and ultimately make him a violent megalomaniac.
