Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

  • 31% of critics liked it
    (35 reviews)

  • 44% of users liked it
    (317,218 ratings)

The idea of fusing teen sex-comedy and horror genres into a boffo box-office bonanza seems like classic braindead Hollywood-think... but somehow, beyond all reason, the makers of this film manage to pull it off. Much of the credit goes to director Fran Rubel Kuzui (Tokyo Pop) who chooses wisely to… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Joss Whedon
Genres
Action & Adventure, Horror, Comedy
In Theaters
Jul 31, 1992 Wide
On DVD
Sep 4, 2001
20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    Joss Whedon's script has some fun with Valley talk (both genuine and ersatz) but strains to sell the story.

  • Todd McCarthy, Variety

    A bloodless comic resurrection of the undead that goes serious just when it should get wild and woolly.

  • , Time Out

    Unfocused stuff, pitched at undemanding teenagers.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    A slight, good-humored film that's a lot more painless than might have been expected.

  • Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    As a friend tells Buffy while she eyes a fashion purchase, 'It's so five minutes ago.'

Read all 21 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Nicki M


    Have upped my original rating a star. This was actually a bad movie, but it is so kitschy and 90's I found I really quite enjoyed seeing it again. It is, of course, a silly little movie and best treated as nothing to do with the excellent tv series. Good fun, though.

  • Jeff "


    Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an average horror comedy that is purely designed to be fun and entertaining. Though flawed, and not perfect, the film manages to be quite amusing. However the film is no where close to the TV series, which was darker, better executed and acted. Not saying… More

  • Phil H


    Now a very stereotypical vampire film with all the cliches and predictable stuff you can imagine which now is really quite lame to watch even if you look past the cute retro appeal. The effects and makeup are very basic much like the acting but at the end of the day this was a film… More

  • AJ V


    One of my favourite teen movies of the 90s! This movie was better than the show for me, it's fun, humorous, exciting, and over the top. Plus, it's got Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, and David Arquette together in a movie! This movie helps when I'm feeling blue.… More

  • Spencer S


    I feel sorry for Joss Whedon. They took his script and manipulated it to be some Clueless vampire slayer movie. The show, completely different, holds the true essence of Buffy.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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