Gremlins

Gremlins (1984)

  • 79% of critics liked it
    (42 reviews)

  • 70% of users liked it
    (418,685 ratings)

"Don't expose him to bright light. Don't ever get him wet. And don't ever, ever feed him after midnight." This sage advice is ignored midway through Gremlins, with devastating results. This comic Joe Dante effort is set in a Norman Rockwell-esque small town at Christmastime. Seeking a unique gift… More

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PG, 2 hr.
Directed By
Joe Dante
Written By
Chris Columbus
Genres
Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy
In Theaters
Jun 1, 1984 Wide
On DVD
Jun 22, 1999
Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    The humans are little more than dress-extras for the mechanics.

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    What's confusing yet ultimately illuminating is the way his gremlins function as a free-floating metaphor, suggesting at separate junctures everything from teenagers to blacks to various Freudian suppressions.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Dante is perhaps the first filmmaker since Frank Tashlin to base his style on the formal free-for-all of animated cartoons; he is also utterly heartless.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    At the level of Serious Film Criticism, it's a meditation on the myths in our movies: Christmas, families, monsters, retail stores, movies, boogeymen. At the level of Pop Moviegoing, it's a sophisticated, witty B movie.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    Gremlins is far more interested in showing off its knowledge of movie lore and making random jokes than in providing consistent entertainment.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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

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Featured Audience Ratings

  • Michael M


    Gremlins is a fun classic that will make you laugh out loud. Gremlins made a new image for the monster movie, although out-dated effects by modern standards, its still a really fun watch and will always be worth your time.

  • Alexander D


    GREMLINS is a hilarious movie. Even though Steven Spielberg serves as only the executive producer, it is some of his best work. This is also the best horror-comedy work of Steven Spielberg's, seconded by the 1990 film ARACHNOPHOBIA. Sometimes, I just sit and remember the last… More

  • Ken S


    A boat load of fun and way more intense then I imagine. One two films responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating (the other is Temple of Doom).

  • xGary X


    A young boy receives a cuddly little creature for Christmas but it inadvertently spawns a horde of vicious creatures hell bent on chaos. Gremlins is what would happen if the muppets went over to the dark side. A comic horror from Joe Dante, it was a bit of a cult in the 80s and went… More

  • AJ V


    I love Gremlins, it's one of my favourite movies ever, and an 80s classic! It's a cute, funny, and exciting monster movie, unlike anything you've ever seen. I highly recommend it.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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