Gremlins (1984)
85%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 8 wins & 6 nominations
Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic
Gremlins is the perfect holiday movie for those who want a little bit of horror mixed in with their Christmas cheer. It’s a hilarious and chaotic ride that will have you rooting for the little monsters wreaking havoc on a small town. Plus, who doesn’t love a good social critique of Reagan-era consumerism? It’s a classic that still holds up today, and it’s sure to become a staple of your holiday movie marathon. Just make sure to keep your own mogwai away from any water or food after midnight!
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Courthouse Square, Backlot, Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1984
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 8, 1984 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 21, 2001
Genre(s)
Holiday/Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Polly Holliday, Scott Brady, directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, holiday, fantasy, comedy, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Richard Corliss, Peter Travers, Michael Wilmington, Glenn Heath Jr., Robbie Collin, Eddie Harrison, Samuel R Murrian, Rachel Wagner, David Nusair, Mike Massie, PG rating, produced by Michael Finnell, Warner Bros Pictures, Mogwai, gremlins, Christmas, consumer culture, violence, dark humor, Looney Tunes style, horror-comedy, family-friendly, merchandising
Worldwide gross: $153,897,221
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $450,661,620
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 332
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 49,145,215
US/Canada gross: $153,642,180
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $449,914,776
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 91
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,511,634
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $36,638,175
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 352
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $32,211,614
Production budget ranking: 1,119
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,345,954
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $401,104,053
ROI to date (est.): 809%
ROI ranking: 162
Phoebe Cates – Kate
Hoyt Axton – Rand Peltzer
Frances Lee McCain – Lynn Peltzer
Polly Holliday – Mrs. Ruby Deagle
Scott Brady – Sheriff Frank
Director – Joe Dante
Producer – Michael Finnell
Writer – Chris Columbus
Director(s)
Joe Dante
Writer(s)
Chris Columbus
Producer(s)
Michael Finnell
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (11)
It is a wacky, satirical spectacle of chaos.
December 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
A wildly original roller-coaster ride of hilarious mischief.
December 6, 2013
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Here’s the season’s most delicious and unexpected surprise. Despite the horror-flick title, Gremlins is a movie of wicked wit and startling invention, and it has a heart that’s at least a match for the special effects.
December 6, 2013
Peter Travers
People Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A horror-comedy about cute little Christmas toy/pets who turn into murderous monsters wreaking havoc on a Norman Rockwellian town.
December 4, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Brilliantly potent social critique of Reagan-era fear-mongering and consumerism.
December 6, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Glenn Heath Jr.
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The 1984 creature feature in which a Capra-esque idyll is besieged by ravening beasties.
December 6, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Robbie Collin
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
…this ‘gift of the mogwai’ continually ups the ante in terms of the cartoonish action…
December 24, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
The foremost pleasure of Gremlins (and the crux of its marketing) is the sight of those little monsters wreaking havoc… There’s more to it, though: Gremlins is a movie we feel good about watching because we’re proud of the characters.
December 23, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Samuel R. Murrian
Parade Magazine
A great family friendly holiday horror movie
December 14, 2021
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
…a genuine classic that holds up remarkably well all these years later.
November 3, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
A thrilling anti-Christmas product, effectively mocking other no-nonsense evil alien endeavors to become a staple of the horror comedy subgenre.
September 6, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
GREMLINS is definitely a product of its time, but it’s got a lot of heart.
June 22, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Sarah Musnicky
Nightmarish Conjurings…
Plot
Minature green monsters tear through the small town of Kingston Falls. Hijinks ensue as a mild-mannered bank teller releases these hideous loonies after gaining a new pet and violating two of three simple rules: No water (violated), no food after midnight (violated), and no bright light. Hilarious mayhem and destruction in a town straight out of Norman Rockwell. So, when your washing machine blows up or your TV goes on the fritz, before you call the repair man, turn on all the lights and look under all the beds. ‘Cause you never can tell, there just might be a gremlin in your house.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Gremlins.
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