Cujo (1983)
61%RT Audience Score: 45%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 3 nominations
Cujo is artless work punctuated with moments of high canine gore and one wild Dee Wallace performance
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you want to cuddle up with your furry friend, Cujo is not it. This horror flick about a rabid St. Bernard is as intense as it is terrifying. But if you’re in the mood for a stripped-down, nerve-shredding thriller, Cujo has got you covered. Just maybe don’t watch it with your pooch by your side.
Production Company(ies)
Armory Films, 1993 Lucky Treehouse
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment, Warner Home Vídeo, Republic Pictures, Warner Bros.
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Santa Rosa, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1983
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:MonoDTS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 31m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 3, 1983 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 25, 2007
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
starring Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Christopher Stone, Ed Lauter, Kaiulani Lee, directed by Lewis Teague, written by Stephen King, Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier, horror, R rating, Artisan Entertainment, Warner Home Vídeo, Republic Pictures, Warner Bros., box office performance, budget, reviewed by Adam Nayman, Gary Arnold, Variety Staff, Eric Henderson, David Pirie, Janet Maslin, Dennis Schwartz, Eddie Harrison, Mike Massie, Tom Beasley, Dee Wallace as Donna Trenton, Danny Pintauro as Tad Trenton, Daniel Hugh Kelly as Vic Trenton, Christopher Stone as Steve Kemp, Ed Lauter as Joe Camber, Kaiulani Lee as Charity Camber, produced by Daniel H Blatt, Robert Singer
Worldwide gross: $21,156,152
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $64,736,930
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,221
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,059,643
US/Canada gross: $21,156,152
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $64,736,930
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 960
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,114,899
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $18,711,332
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 694
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $15,299,788
Production budget ranking: 1,502
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $8,238,936
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $41,198,206
ROI to date (est.): 175%
ROI ranking: 698
Danny Pintauro – Tad Trenton
Daniel Hugh Kelly – Vic Trenton
Christopher Stone – Steve Kemp
Ed Lauter – Joe Camber
Kaiulani Lee – Charity Camber
Director – Lewis Teague
Producers – Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer
Writers – Stephen King, Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier
Director(s)
Lewis Teague
Writer(s)
Stephen King, Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier
Producer(s)
Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (16)
The movie is as nasty and single-minded as Cujo himself: It’s simple, and it works.
September 5, 2019
Adam Nayman
The Ringer
TOP CRITIC
“Cujo” no doubt presented fewer difficulties for a novelist than it does for a movie director.
October 4, 2017
Gary Arnold
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A dull, uneventful entry in the horror genre.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Directed by Lewis Teague with less cinematographic flair than even the TV miniseries for ‘Salem’s Lot, Cujo unfortunately demonstrates the difficulty in adapting King’s shorter works.
October 28, 2007 | Rating: 2/4
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
This adaptation on a modest budget from Stephen King’s bestseller about a rabid St Bernard is a pleasing illustration of the filmic simplicity at the heart of King’s better writing.
February 9, 2006
David Pirie
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The family members seem believably typical, which makes their encounter with the demonic dog all the more involving. Be warned: if you find yourself too caught up in ”Cujo,” you’ll have a hard time looking your own pooch in the eye.
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Not much of a horror or a dog story.
July 23, 2021 | Rating: C+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
…Cujo the dog seems to feed off Castle Rock’s bad energy, and there’s far more to King’s story than just a woman in peril…
July 21, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
At certain moments, it’s as if flawed individuals are met with toothy reprisal in a twisted form of justice – where survival defines worth.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It’s a stripped-down nerve-shredder of a movie that has a bite every bit as potent as its bark.
August 15, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tom Beasley
VultureHound
The story gets lost in long and dull explanations. [Full Review in Spanish]
September 23, 2019
Diego Galán
El Pais (Spain)
A claustrophobic horror with plenty of bite.
April 29, 2019
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia…
Plot
Donna Trenton is a frustrated suburban housewife whose life is in turmoil after her husband learns about her having an affair. Brett Camber is a young boy whose only companion is a Saint-Bernard named “Cujo”, who in turn is bitten by a rabid bat. Whilst Vic, Donna’s husband is away on business, and thinking over his marital troubles, Donna and her 5-year-old son Tad take her Pinto to Brett Cambers’ dad’s car shop… the car fails, and “Cujo” is very, very sick…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels mentions Dee Wallace’s “wild” performance in Cujo.
Lewis-Teague.jpg
