Xtro (1983)

20% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(1,846 ratings)

For those with a taste for the repugnant comes this gory blood-and-guts fest that tells the horrific story of a British fellow who gets kidnapped by aliens and three years later is returned carrying infectious spores that have transformed him into a kind of crab thingy that causes all kinds of… More For those with a taste for the repugnant comes this gory blood-and-guts fest that tells the horrific story of a British fellow who gets kidnapped by aliens and three years later is returned carrying infectious spores that have transformed him into a kind of crab thingy that causes all kinds of perverse sexual and violent mayhem. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Harry Bromley Davenport
Written By: Harry Bromley Davenport
Genres: Horror, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1983 Wide
On DVD: Sep 20, 2005
Studio: New Line Cinema

Critic Reviews

Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com
Xtro may be morbid, unsettling, and even upsetting--it pushes upon boundaries and then crosses them--but it's a bonafide original in the genre.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
a cheap-looking amalgam of previously used horror effects, with not a single fresh idea of its own except to jam them together in one place.
Andreas Samuelson, Slasherpool
Ranges from bad sci-fi to stereotypical B-horror to British TV-like drama to Child's Play-like slasher to... just plain weird

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

Lee ?

A bit of low-budget Alien fun from Britain. Not a great film of course but it has enough memorable moments to it, from a bit of Alien rape, cheesy gore effects, a boy able to give life to his toys and Marym d'Abo in the nude! Not as good as Inseminoid, but worth a look if you… More
A bit of low-budget Alien fun from Britain. Not a great film of course but it has enough memorable moments to it, from a bit of Alien rape, cheesy gore effects, a boy able to give life to his toys and Marym d'Abo in the nude! Not as good as Inseminoid, but worth a look if you enjoy cheesy Alien films.
Luke B

A cruel and absurd cinematic gem. Only a British film could be so off-beat and terrifying at the same time. It had the uncomfortable atmosphere of Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man. I was honestly expecting an Alien knock-off, but what I got was creative, if ludicrous filmmaking.… More
A cruel and absurd cinematic gem. Only a British film could be so off-beat and terrifying at the same time. It had the uncomfortable atmosphere of Don't Look Now and The Wicker Man. I was honestly expecting an Alien knock-off, but what I got was creative, if ludicrous filmmaking. Set in Britain, we see a man abducted by aliens. 3 years pass and everyone assumes he just left, though his son is plagued by nightmares. An alien arrives and starts killing and impregnating people. The alien pregnancy scene is horrific. It's so detailed and gruesome, it really does make the chestburster scene in Alien look quaint. Not much makes sense after that, but I enjoyed it all. It was some weird fucked up fantasy with a midget clown, toys coming to life, and dads sucking on their son's shoulders (don't ask). The effects are truly repulsive and fantastic. I pray for a return to films like this. CGI would have been so bland. It will take a morbid person to truly appreciate the humor and bizarre tone, but it's unlike so many films, where scenes of pure fantasy are played straight-faced and for real.
AJ V

I really didn't care for this weird sci-fi alien movie, the story doesn't make much sense for one thing, and none of the actors are very good either. I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie.
Greg S

A man mysteriously disappears for three years, then returns to the family he left behind changed. A British undercover alien movie that seems pretty standard, despite some exploitation money scenes, until the dwarf clown shows up, conks the nanny on the head with a rubber hammer,… More
A man mysteriously disappears for three years, then returns to the family he left behind changed. A British undercover alien movie that seems pretty standard, despite some exploitation money scenes, until the dwarf clown shows up, conks the nanny on the head with a rubber hammer, wraps her in a cocoon and uses her to incubate alien eggs. Not as interesting or iconic as Don Coscarelli's PHANTASM, but it has a very similar vibe.
Ed Fucking H

Now this is a Horror movie. Pretty much has everything I look for in horror, and all at the same time. Gore, suspense, mystery, surrealism, humour, disturbingness etc. Not a dull moment to be found here. The whole thing comes off as the nightmare of the child. Not many other movies… More
Now this is a Horror movie. Pretty much has everything I look for in horror, and all at the same time. Gore, suspense, mystery, surrealism, humour, disturbingness etc. Not a dull moment to be found here. The whole thing comes off as the nightmare of the child. Not many other movies fit as much into 80 minutes as this one does. While not relying on gore fore scares, there is enough of it here to satisfy the gorehounds, but really this film works more fore it's imagery than anything else. The whole thing really is bizarre, and unlike anything else, even if it reminds you of a fuckload of your favourite movies at the same time. Good stuff for sure. A must see.
Steve S

This was a really a more believable alien encounter movie than CONTACT. I realize that's a radical statement. This is one of the best scii-fi/horror movies the Brits have made.