Critters

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Critters

PG-13

1986

1h 24m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When strange fuzzy creatures from outer space arrive on a farm, the Brown family -- Jay (Billy Green Bush), Helen (Dee Wallace-Stone), their daughter, April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and their son, Brad (Scott Grimes) -- must fend off the malevolent little aliens. Two bounty hunters with superhuman abilities follow the aggressive beasts from beyond, but the warriors aren't terribly effective, leaving the Brown family to battle the fur balls and rescue April from their clutches all by themselves.

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Critics Consensus

While Critters ekes out some fun from a game cast and screwball tone, the titular monsters fail to deliver the credible menace that makes a creature feature satisfying.

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

The lead monsters are sort of endearingly nasty and the movie has fun with its small town setting, but the film is perhaps a little too derivative to pass muster with the best of retro-chic [science fiction].

Rated: 3/5

Oct 28, 2021

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Critters resemble oversize hairballs and roll like tumbleweeds when prodded into action, the perfect menace for this irritatingly insipid and lightweight film which unfolds with plodding predictability and leaves few cliches unturned.

Oct 28, 2021

Full Review

Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

It's so pitifully plain that the budget won't stretch to showing bigger Critters that the pathetic effect becomes laughable.

Oct 27, 2021

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

More than a ripoff of Gremlins, Critters is a fun, Amblin-esque family adventure with plenty of amusing sequences and extremely memorable titular creature design, though at times the events at the farm and in the town feel disconnected

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 4, 2024

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Charming gateway horror film in which the human characters somehow manage to outshine the titular alien furballs.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 2, 2024

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Philip French

Observer (UK)

Gremlins does exist and Critters is simply a drive-in exploitation version of it, likable in a blue-chin, blue-collar way, but lacking the original's moral and magical qualities.

Oct 27, 2021

Full Review

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Calvin T

It was worth the watch ✌🏾

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/12/24

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Johnathon W

Fun science fiction/horror/comedy thanks a solid cast and fantastic creatures from the Chiodo Brothers. The cast is solid but nothing special, obviously having fun with the premise. Behind the camera, director Stephen Herek directs a breezy film at a brisk 90 minutes, having fun with the premise of mischievous aliens. The real stars are the Critters, brilliantly designed by the Chiodo Brothers, who manage to be both cute and menacing, whether rolling around like furballs or shooting poisonous quills. The stroke of genius is providing sub-titles for their speech to hilarious effect. Is it a perfect film, no, but it is a fun one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

Full Review

Jay H

Neat little monster movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/08/24

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Aiden M

If you are looking for a funny, goofy, cult classic horror movie the I would recommend the critters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

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Jonathan O

We've already meet Gremlins in 1984 but now we've got Gremlins like creatures from space who loves to make chaos and mayhem and eating everything and killing people and I had really a blast is really hilarious sci-fi horror comedy and spectacular creature effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/20/24

Full Review

Robson C

Um grupo de criaturas espaciais fogem da prisão onde estavam e vem para a Terra, prontos a devorar tudo, ameaçando uma família. Para combatê-los, dois caçadores de recompensas são enviados. Depois do sucesso de Gremlins, é claro que haveria cópias e esta franquia talvez foi a que teve mais sucesso. As criaturas têm o mesmo humor e maldade dos gremlins. A principal diferença seria que não existem as regras, além de que o único intento desses seres é devorar tudo que vive e existe. Mesmo sendo um filme B, há bons efeitos especiais, principalmente os práticos, dando vida e movimentação aos pequenos seres espaciais. Com isso, nós temos o típico roteiro anos 80, com aqueles personagens estereotipados. O elenco é competente e dá conta do recado, com nomes já conhecidos. Porém, acho que eles perdem tempo demais com a ida dos caçadores de recompensas para a cidade. Talvez se tivesse focado apenas na família tentando sobreviver aos ataques das criaturas, o filme teria sido melhor.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/07/24

Full Review

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Stephen Herek

Director

Dee Wallace

Helen Brown

M. Emmet Walsh

Harv

Terrence Mann

Johnny Steele

Billy Green Bush

Jay Brown

Scott Grimes

Brad Brown

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Synopsis

When strange fuzzy creatures from outer space arrive on a farm, the Brown family -- Jay (Billy Green Bush), Helen (Dee Wallace-Stone), their daughter, April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and their son, Brad (Scott Grimes) -- must fend off the malevolent little aliens. Two bounty hunters with superhuman abilities follow the aggressive beasts from beyond, but the warriors aren't terribly effective, leaving the Brown family to battle the fur balls and rescue April from their clutches all by themselves.

Director: Stephen Herek
Producer: Rupert Harvey, Barry Opper
Screenwriter: Domonic Muir, Stephen Herek
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Smart Egg Pictures, Sho Films
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.3M
Runtime: 1h 24m

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