By Robert Scucci
| Published 24 seconds ago
I’m ashamed to admit that although Tobe Hooper’s work (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Funhouse, Poltergeist) has always been a presence in my life, I somehow never sat down with his 1990 film, Spontaneous Combustion, until I spotted it streaming on Tubi last week. After seeking out some additional context on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say this film was never on most people’s radar. It currently has just two critical ratings with no percentage attached, along with an 18 percent approval rating on the Popcornmeter across roughly 250 reviews.
After giving it a proper watch, I walked away conflicted. Spontaneous Combustion is total B-movie schlock, but it’s also the best kind of B-movie schlock.
Everything about Spontaneous Combustion is ridiculous, and you truly have to see it to believe it. From the melodramatic dialogue and wildly over-the-top special effects to Brad Dourif’s perpetually pained facial expressions, Spontaneous Combustion is an absolute punisher. Still, it’s the kind of punisher you want to see through, largely because of how far Hooper is willing to push a premise that never should have been stretched into a feature-length film.
I would have loved to see this same story told in a shorter, anthology-style format, but I’m ultimately glad the version we have exists. Hooper fully commits here, and that commitment is impossible to ignore.
A Man Cursed With Fire
Spontaneous Combustion tells the story of David Bell (Brad Dourif), the son of Brian (Brian Bremer) and Peggy (Stacy Edwards) Bell. Brian and Peggy were test subjects for a radiation immunity experiment known as Operation Samson back in the 1950s, which initially appeared to be a success. While living in quarantine after exposure to extreme levels of radiation, they conceive David, but immediately upon his birth, they burst into flames, leaving him orphaned.
Years later, David, now living under the name Sam Kramer, has no knowledge of his birth parents or the experiments they endured, but he does share something in common with them. Whenever he experiences intense stress, he bursts into flames. He also bears a strange birthmark he cannot explain and almost constantly runs a 100-degree fever.
Frustrated by his inexplicable condition, Sam eventually learns from his doctor that he’s been monitored from afar by those involved with Operation Samson. This revelation only worsens his condition. It sends Sam into fits of rage, and his strange abilities begin spiraling out of control.
In his search for answers, Sam forms a bond with a woman named Lisa (Cynthia Bain), whose parents met a similar fiery fate. As Sam gets closer to the truth, his rage manifests in increasingly explosive ways, granting him the ability not only to burst into flames, but also to manipulate electricity. This escalation results in some genuinely hilarious sequences, including scenes where he electrocutes people through a telephone.
The Special Effects Are Something Else
While watching Spontaneous Combustion, the recurring thought I couldn’t shake was, “this isn’t how real people talk or act,” and I don’t think the film could function any other way. Sam communicates almost entirely through screams, erupts into flames at the worst possible moments, and spends long stretches smoldering in a near-catatonic haze. Lisa oscillates between being eerily calm and completely hysterical, and it’s an experience to watch these tonal swings happen so quickly.
The sound design only heightens the absurdity. The noises produced when Sam’s body ignites are loud, intrusive, and dominate the entire soundscape. What I assume is meant to be a straightforward sci-fi thriller often plays like unintentional comedy as a result.
Everything about Spontaneous Combustion is cranked to 11, and it never eases off the gas. There’s something deeply irresistible about it because everyone involved treats the material with complete sincerity, as if they’re daring the audience to keep a straight face. I can’t get enough of it, though I fully understand that I’m probably in the minority.
If you’re willing to put your sensibilities at risk, Spontaneous Combustion is currently available to stream for free on Tubi as of this writing.