Richard Franklin’s Cloak & Dagger from 1984 is a childhood fave for many of us who grew up during the Cold War. Watching it now, it feels like yet another example of how much heavier PG fare was in the ‘80s. Since it celebrates its 40th anniversary on August 10th, I figured I’d take a look back!
Henry Thomas of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial fame stars as Davey Osborne, a young boy struggling with the recent loss of his mother. His closest friends are his next-door neighbor Kim (Christina Nigra) and older game store manager Morris (fan favorite William Forsythe in an early role). However, his true confidant is his imaginary friend/favorite video game and RPG character Jack Flack (the recently passed Dabney Coleman). Henry’s dad Hal (also Coleman) is frustrated with the boy’s obsession with Flack and sees the issue as being a possibly unhealthy reaction to the death of Mrs Osborne.
While pretending to be a secret agent one day, Davey witnesses a murder and is given an Atari game cartridge that houses some sort of hidden file. The game has become real and Davey and Kim are thrown into the dark world of Cold War-era espionage. The ever-confident (and intangible) Flack is giddy for the adventure, but as the circumstances become more deadly, Davey just wishes his father, or any grownup, would believe him about what’s going on. We also get Robert Altman regular Michael Murphy, veteran character actor John McIntire, and ex-NFL linebacker Tim Rossovich. The late comedian Louie Anderson shows up briefly toward the end of the film.
Performances are solid and Thomas does well carrying the flick on his young shoulders. Coleman is clearly having a ball. Beloved horror writer Tom Holland’s script (with an uncredited assist by Nancy Dowd of Slap Shot fame) is fairly tight and mostly keeps the proceedings believable. Interestingly, it’s based on an old Cornell Woolrich story that had already been adapted three previous times. As I mentioned up top, there’s a dark edge present that was common for kids’ films of the day but that may be too intense for today’s younger viewers. Victor J Kemper’s lensing makes good use of locations around San Antonio, a city not often seen on screen. For me, it’s always a bonus to not have the same old backdrops of New York, LA, or Chicago. Beloved Australian composer Brian May’s music is distinctive and appropriately thrilling.
I had a blast revisiting Richard Franklin’s Cloak & Dagger. The early videogame element and the relatively heavy stakes combined with the genuine chemistry between Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman make for an engaging watch. Its somewhat forgotten status and its darker tone give it some authentic cult cache, too. Highly recommended for fans of Explorers, Wargames, and The Last Starfighter.
Michael Cavender