Graveyard Shift (1990)

13% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
32% of users liked it
(9,526 ratings)

One of countless Stephen King adaptations, this take on one of the author's Night Shift tales is set in a Maine textile mill whose overbearing manager (Stephen Macht) finds himself in a tight spot when county inspectors crack down on his less-than-safe operation after a fatal accident involving a… More One of countless Stephen King adaptations, this take on one of the author's Night Shift tales is set in a Maine textile mill whose overbearing manager (Stephen Macht) finds himself in a tight spot when county inspectors crack down on his less-than-safe operation after a fatal accident involving a picking machine. He rounds up a few financially-desperate locals -- including drifter David Anderson, the film's nominal hero -- into a rag-tag crew to clean up the nightmarish, rat-infested lower levels of the decrepit building. Working their way through the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the mill, the crew encounters a rat's nest far beyond what their foreman had imagined, with a gigantic, man-eating monster rodent nesting at its center. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Ralph S. Singleton
Written By: John Esposito
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Oct 26, 1990 Wide
On DVD: May 28, 2002
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
Worth to watch for the crazy New England accent alone, Brad Dourif is a plus.
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
And it gets those 2 stars only due to Goopy Gore and Guilty Pleasure-ism.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
I honestly believe that I'm the only person in the world that didn't hate this movie.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
It's bad in every respect; there's nothing it doesn't fail at. (Watch for the girl who sprains her ankle in one scene and walks fine in the next.) And yet, it's fascinating.
Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
One of the worst of Stephen King movies. Don't punch in for this mess.
Scott Weinberg, Apollo Guide
I can easily recommend Graveyard Shift...but only to adolescent boys who are just now discovering the joys of gooey, sloppy, gore flicks.

Read all 6 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Another excellent movie based on a Stephen King story. I really liked this one, it's creepy, but simple. I know it usually gets low ratings, but I liked it anyway.
Jeff "

I don't understand the flack this film has gotten. I mean yes, it's low budget, and yes the acting and script are mediocre, but the film does have it's moments. Graveyard Shift is obviously not the best of Stephen Kings adaptations. If you want the worst, check out… More
I don't understand the flack this film has gotten. I mean yes, it's low budget, and yes the acting and script are mediocre, but the film does have it's moments. Graveyard Shift is obviously not the best of Stephen Kings adaptations. If you want the worst, check out Firestarter. Now that was a terrible film. Graveyard Shift however is a simple, fun horror film. People seem to be turned off by the fact that its low budget, and doesn't respect King's original. Well many of book to screen adaptations of Stephen King's books have never been truly faithful to the source material. In fact the only only one that can adapt a Stephen King work successfully to the screen is Frank Darabont, director of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist. I can't put my finger on what I like about this film. Maybe its because its simple in its concept and story, I found appealing. Graveyard Shift is a fairly good horror film that doesn't deserve all the flack it has been given. I understand as to why it has, but theres something pretty enjoyable in this film. The film is far from the worst ever made. Graveyard Shift has a decent enough cast to support the film. One performance in particular was terrific, Brad Douriff as The Exterminator. The film is worth watching due to his performance alone. Graveyard Shift for all its imperfections is still a film worth seeing, and it is a film thats fairly entertaining as well. It's good cheesy fun, yes it cheap, yes, the acting is sloppy; but who cares?
Tim S

This wasn't that bad, but it is atrocious at times.
Coxxie M

im sure Stephen King is shifting in his grave everytime a 10th-grade goth kid mentions this film. wait, hes not dead?? well he'll wish he was when he sees this
Cassandra M

In Gates Falls,Maine,an old textile mill that has been closed down for many years is reopened.The place is dirty,run down,and overrun with huge rats.The graveyard shift is operated by a skeleton crew,just enough to keep it going.This is where we meet John Hall,a young drifter who gets… More
In Gates Falls,Maine,an old textile mill that has been closed down for many years is reopened.The place is dirty,run down,and overrun with huge rats.The graveyard shift is operated by a skeleton crew,just enough to keep it going.This is where we meet John Hall,a young drifter who gets hired on to work with the crew.The plant which is infested with rats also harbors something much larger,deep in it's cotton filled bowels,something that wants to come up to the surface.The crew of the graveyard shift are about to come face to face with what's underneath the factory."Graveyard Shift" is loosely based on Stephen King's short story.The film is fast-paced and entertaining and offers some gore plus a few shocks.Many people trashed this horror film,but I don't care."Graveyard Shift" is still much better than bloodless and politically correct horror garbage produced today.The cast is decent and the production design provides plenty of eerie atmosphere.Give this one a look
Lafe F

Very atmospheric. There are gorey killings in the underground passages of the factory setting. It's horrifying what happens.
Dean M

Boring and bit creepy of a 'monster'.
ken j

Based on the short story by Stephen King when a abandoned textile mill is reopened in a small town several workers end up dead the thing that connects them is it always happened between 11pm and 7am when the foreman chooses a clean up crew to work nights things get really bad as they… More
Based on the short story by Stephen King when a abandoned textile mill is reopened in a small town several workers end up dead the thing that connects them is it always happened between 11pm and 7am when the foreman chooses a clean up crew to work nights things get really bad as they fine a tunnel of mazes underneath the mill and what has been killing off all the workers, Not one of the best movie adaptions of king's work but also not one of the worst i found it enjoyable to watch but still might not be for all tastes
Leo L

Great movie!
Barry L

OMG The original and the best. What a creepy horror.