Arachnophobia (1990)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Manu G

  
  Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude. "Arachnophobia" is a very entertaining horror movie produced by Steven Spielberg. A group of researchers are on a research expedition to Venezuela. Upon a routine trapping of insects, the researchers find two stunned spiders in their… More
  Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude. "Arachnophobia" is a very entertaining horror movie produced by Steven Spielberg. A group of researchers are on a research expedition to Venezuela. Upon a routine trapping of insects, the researchers find two stunned spiders in their traps. They are unlike any spiders they have ever seen, and they begin to study the spiders. One of these spiders escapes, and kills a researcher. Once the researcher is discovered dead, the spider hitches a ride back to the researchers home town, Canaima, California. There, Dr. Ross Jennings has just moved in, and he is deathly afraid of spiders. Now, the Venezuelan spider has reached the U.S., and has begun to dominate the town. Soon, people who appear completely healthy start to die suddenly. It is only after the death of the town's only other doctor, that Jennings realizes it may be a spider that is causing the death. Soon, they attract the attention of the head researcher in Venezuela, Dr. James Atherton. He sends his assistant to Canaima, only verifying that the Venezuelan spider was involved. He informs them that the Venezuelan spider plans on taking over its new area, by creating reproductive offspring with a domestic house spider. Now, it's a race against time before the Venezuelan spider manifests the town and eventually the entire country.

• Alexander D

  
  Offbeat horror/comedy is neither "ha-ha" nor "shiver-shiver". It is simply a clever, delightful parody of how Hollywood scared its audiences--using <i>spiders</i> to make clear the true stupidity of those classic scenes. If you don't quite… More
  Offbeat horror/comedy is neither "ha-ha" nor "shiver-shiver". It is simply a clever, delightful parody of how Hollywood scared its audiences--using <i>spiders</i> to make clear the true stupidity of those classic scenes. If you don't quite understand what I am saying, allow me to give you an example: The famous shower scene from the 1960 horror/thriller PSYCHO is parodied somewhere in the latter half of the film. Instead of having an adult woman be stabbed to death, though, the scene shows a spider crawling down the body of a teenage girl, who freaks out in a ridiculous manner. That's the kind of humor you'll find in almost every other scene: farcical, overblown, satirical, yet subtle takes on FRANKENSTEIN and the like. What is best about ARACHNOPHOBIA (the film, of course, not the phenomenon) is that it's simply impossible to find a film that slightly resembles it. It's odd when we hear this one's a comedy, we're not laughing...but we're still somehow glued to the TV.

• Wahida K

  
  I watched with a Friend who has arachnophobia, still she wanted to watch this Movie very badly. Okay. It wasnt fun for me to hear her scream next to me whenever the Spiders appeared on the Screen and who has seen the Movie it was 95%, so anyone can imagine what Screams I had to… More
  I watched with a Friend who has arachnophobia, still she wanted to watch this Movie very badly. Okay. It wasnt fun for me to hear her scream next to me whenever the Spiders appeared on the Screen and who has seen the Movie it was 95%, so anyone can imagine what Screams I had to suffer. lol Long time ago someone recommended this Movie to me and I didnt actually paid attention, ironically a friend who has Arachnophobia told me to give it a try. Spiders dont bother me at all. It began a tiny bit "suspense" or in this case "oh this is the beginning" but later I noticed it was more "humourous" and not even CLOSE TO A HORROR. The only Horror were the Screams of the Friend during the whole Movie. Jesus Christ I had a headache at the End.

• Ken S

  
  Unless you actually have arachnophobia, it would be hard to really call this film horrific. Frank Marshall (the director) called it a thrill-omedy, and that might be the best description. A little thrilling, a little funny.

• Jeff "

  
  Arachnophobia promises to be quite amusing. A film that is tongue in cheek, Arachnophobia is a humourous Horror film, using the fear of spiders as a plot device, director Frank Marshall crafts one terrific Horror Comedy gem with Arachnophobia. The film will definitely not appeal to… More
  Arachnophobia promises to be quite amusing. A film that is tongue in cheek, Arachnophobia is a humourous Horror film, using the fear of spiders as a plot device, director Frank Marshall crafts one terrific Horror Comedy gem with Arachnophobia. The film will definitely not appeal to people with a fear of spiders. Frank Marshall's film is a comical and effective scare flick, and Marshall uses plenty of tricks to scare the audience. The film does contain a good dose of humour and the on screen comedy is well done. Produced by Steven Spielberg and featuring a great cast, including John Goodman as Delbert McClintock. Goodman is definitely one of the funniest actors in the film and he delivers one of his best roles along with his performance of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski. I'm not usually scared of spiders and insects, and at times while watching the film I was squirming a few times. Even if you're not afraid of spiders, you might feel uneasy a few times, but luckily Arachnophobia is a well crafted horror comedy that makes this fear a bit more amusing. This is one terrific tongue in cheek film thats sure to give a great time and a few jitters as the eight legged creatures kill off the population of a small town. A well directed film that uses many scare tactics, Arachnophobia is a film that is just as much fun as it is frightening. But if you're scared of spiders, then you might want to skip this title, or if you are, and you think watching this film will make you get over your fear of spiders, then watch... At your own risk. For the rest of us, laugh out at this awesome well crafted Horror comedy, the actors are terrific and the story is great too. A must see for horror comedy buffs.

• Chris W

  
  The fact that spiders really do bother me is partially why this film is so effective, at least to me and others like me. Even for people who aren't bothered by spiders, this is still a well made and fun little thrill ride. It's creepy, funny, and it has some good effects. I… More
  The fact that spiders really do bother me is partially why this film is so effective, at least to me and others like me. Even for people who aren't bothered by spiders, this is still a well made and fun little thrill ride. It's creepy, funny, and it has some good effects. I gave more respect to this movie after learning that it was one of the many films Jamie Hyneman (from Mythbusters) worked on. The cast is pretty good, and John Goodman is just a riot in the scene stealing comedic relief role. I haven't seen this in a while, and I'm amazed I've seen it multiple times, but I do like it, even though spiders just mess me up. The direction is good, and the script is okay, if just barelty serviceable. Overall, this is a scary (but still kinda fun) thrill ride that provides a good balance with the screams and laughs, and makes for decent entertainment.

• Cassandra M

  
  When a photographer is bitten and killed by a spider in the Venezuelan jungle, his body is shipped back to his home town of Canaima in California. Unfortunately something has hitched a ride in his coffin?? Mixing B movie conventions with modern day fun, Arachnophobia sees Frank… More
  When a photographer is bitten and killed by a spider in the Venezuelan jungle, his body is shipped back to his home town of Canaima in California. Unfortunately something has hitched a ride in his coffin?? Mixing B movie conventions with modern day fun, Arachnophobia sees Frank Marshall direct and Jeff Daniels, Julian Sands, John Goodman and Harley Jane Kozak line up in the cast. Tho horror and comedy on the surface doesn't seem to be a that hard to blend together, it's surprising over the years just how few horror comedy movies can claim to be successful and have been able to to win over a like minded audience. In fact, if we move away from the likes of Sean Of The Dead, the B movie creature feature, especially in modern times, has few offerings of worth. We can certainly mention the awesome (and best of the modern bunch) Tremors, which turned a small Worldwide profit, and then we turn to Lake Placid and Arachnophobia. Both of the latter made considerable amounts of cash (for the genre) and are propelled by a degree of star wattage. What was in Arachnophobia's favour too, was that spiders strike the fear of god into many people, thus, as Marshall said himself on the publicity junket, "People like to be scared but laughing at the same time". Arachnophobia achieves this in spades, mixing real spiders (Avondale breed) with model and magnet work, the effect achieved is nervy giggles coupled with creepy goose flesh putting in an appearance. The cast work hard to make it work. OK, Sands remains as wooden as he always is, but in this case his pompous bug professor calls for it. Daniels as the modern doctor hoping to start a new life in the country, is an excellent lead, a fine actor who's no show on the A list of Hollywood remains an utter mystery. But it's with the big jolly blunderbuss that is John Goodman that Arachnophobia gets its frothy B movie fun. His inept, half witted but knowing pest controller, Delbert, engages in that small town Americana way. An innocence to the terrors of the world that makes for a nice play off with the Arachnophobic Dr. Ross Jennings (Daniels). Nicely shot around Cambria, California, to fully realise the small town under arachnid siege, Arachnaphobia is the perfect comedy creeper for all the family. Enjoy: even if you have to watch from behind your hands.

• Jens S

  
  Fun and exciting spider horror thriller that mixes humor with terror quite nicely, while not taking itself too seriously. With plenty of scenes that make you jump or squirm in your seat, depending on your attitude towards spiders, or tricking you into believing you are about to jump.… More
  Fun and exciting spider horror thriller that mixes humor with terror quite nicely, while not taking itself too seriously. With plenty of scenes that make you jump or squirm in your seat, depending on your attitude towards spiders, or tricking you into believing you are about to jump. The good-humored cast takes care of the rest. Particularly awesome: John Goodman's exterminator. Just all around satisfying and entertaining.

• Anthony L

  
  A horror/thriller the whole family can enjoy :o)

• Leigh R

  
  Good memories of this movie when I was a kid. Not scary really, more funny.

• Jason O

  
  When I think of my favorite horror movies, "Arachnophobia" is always one of the first ones that I think of. Some killer spiders start taking over the city and invading peoples' houses and it's up to some exterminators to put an end to them. In my opinion,… More
  When I think of my favorite horror movies, "Arachnophobia" is always one of the first ones that I think of. Some killer spiders start taking over the city and invading peoples' houses and it's up to some exterminators to put an end to them. In my opinion, "Arachnophobia" is a classic and I recommend anybody who likes horror movies to see it. It's fun to watch the spiders do their damage while you try to figure out how anybody could kill them completely. That's why it's a good movie to watch over and over again no matter how many times you've seen it. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000. A classic in my book, period.

• Sophie B

  
  I really loved the mise en scene, especially of the beginning part in the jungle. I found the middle bit quite on going and not boring but beackground suitable. The end was really good though. I liked the camera angles on the spider. It did make my skin crawl!

• Bannan i

  
  I remember watching this when I was younger...and it was definitely interesting to watch...may have to check it out again.

• Alexander W

  
  Supposedly scary movie

• _kelly .

  
  campy fun

• Candy R

  
  Killer spiders are on the loose to terrorise a small town.

• Matthew C

  
  ...still can't watch this movie. Maybe because I suffer from the name. And really big spiders are something I don't like to indulge in watching....

• Curtis L

  
  John Goodman is awesome in this movie.

• xGary X

  
  A seriously unscary comic horror that's likeable as a piece of light entertainment, but don't expect any shocks or chills (unless you REALLY hate spiders...) John Goodman is OK in a cameo as a self-important exterminator, but as a whole, it delivers little more than the… More
  A seriously unscary comic horror that's likeable as a piece of light entertainment, but don't expect any shocks or chills (unless you REALLY hate spiders...) John Goodman is OK in a cameo as a self-important exterminator, but as a whole, it delivers little more than the occasional chuckle.

• Dr Blood  

  
  If you're scared of spiders, you probably won't see much of this film!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings