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Cujo

Play trailer Poster for Cujo R Released Aug 3, 1983 1h 31m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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59% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In this tale of a killer canine, man's best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat, he starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive. As Cujo morphs into a dangerous beast, he goes on a rampage in a small town. Stay-at-home mom Donna (Dee Wallace) gets caught in Cujo's crosshairs on a fateful errand with her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Stuck in their tiny car, Donna and Tad have a frightening showdown with the crazed animal.
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Cujo

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Critics Consensus

Cujo is artless work punctuated with moments of high canine gore and one wild Dee Wallace performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer The movie is as nasty and single-minded as Cujo himself: It's simple, and it works. Sep 5, 2019 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post "Cujo" no doubt presented fewer difficulties for a novelist than it does for a movie director. Oct 4, 2017 Full Review Variety Staff Variety A dull, uneventful entry in the horror genre. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk The raw performances by Danny Pintauro and Dee Wallace are key here, as they effectively embody abject terror and desperation, respectively. Rated: 3/4 Dec 18, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Director Lewis Teague does what he can in an attempt to maximize tension, but there’s only so much he can do with such a limited setting and such a sparse story. Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 8, 2023 Full Review Erick Estrada Cinegarage A truly absurd film that never found the conductor thread of its story... transporting the facts from the novel wasn't enough. [Full review in Spanish] Apr 12, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Julian S Though it bites fiercely, “Cujo” might surprise casual horror fans by offering more than just a typical monster movie, as it explores the raw instincts underlying family fragility. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/24/24 Full Review Tanisha R There are 2 different movies happening here and the one with the cheating wife seemed more interesting to me (not that interesting). The killer dog part seemed so thrown in that they could've just left it out, called it something else and made this a lifetime movie. As far as scary goes, the dog is gross to look at and for some reason wet all the time. But the story is awful. This one could definitely use a remake with the stories focus to be on the dog. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review Jonathan O Cujo is every man's best friend worst nightmare to have a adorable dog who suddenly got bitten by a bat and get rabid and killing people of there actions is terrifying and Dee Wallace performance is so fearless and brave to protect her son from this rabid dog and the story is is okay doesn't feel like part Stephen King's universe but it does have Spielberg's JAWS vibe but with four legs. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Teddy B It has no real purpose or aim, but it does serve up an acceptable amount of well-done suspense, even if the first act drags for a long time and doesn't tie in at all to the last act. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/13/24 Full Review Jeff M I honestly try to avoid getting too hyperbolic in my reviews, but not only do I think this is the second best Stephen King book to screen adaptation ever (next to CARRIE), but I think it's one of the truly great horror films of the last few decades. I watched it for the first time in probably at least ten years, and I was amazed at how well it held up. I've said it a jillion times and I'll say it again here - the scariest movies are the ones rooted in reality. And there's not a second of screen time here that doesn't feel like it could be true to life. Wallace joins the illustrious pantheon of horror movie moms including JoBeth Williams in POLTERGEIST and Toni Collette in HEREDITARY. Her work here is extraordinary, and she is the single most important element that holds this movie together. And MAJOR props to young Pintauro who is absolutely wonderful, particularly in the latter half of the movie. The key to this film is a genuine concern and caring about the characters involved. And I honestly would place Cujo up there with Jaws as one of the great scary creatures of its time. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/24 Full Review Trafalgar L Normally I love seeing Stephen King's work be adapted but this was just irritating for me. The plot is about a Saint Bernard inflicted with rabies who terrorizes a small town. But, my God the little boy in this movie was annoying and Dee Wallace fails to be a Scream Queen. I would have been happier if they kept the original ending with both Cujo and her son dying. But, at the end of the day they made a movie. So that's what matters. /s Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/02/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cujo

Cujo: Official Clip - Breathe! Cujo: Official Clip - Breathe! 2:13 Cujo: Official Clip - Cujo Won't Hurt Him Cujo: Official Clip - Cujo Won't Hurt Him 2:13 Cujo: Official Clip - Get Back in That Barn, Damn You Cujo: Official Clip - Get Back in That Barn, Damn You 2:05 Cujo: Official Clip - You're Rabid! Cujo: Official Clip - You're Rabid! 2:13 Cujo: Official Clip - What's the Matter? Cujo: Official Clip - What's the Matter? 2:03 Cujo: Official Clip - It's Just a Doggie Cujo: Official Clip - It's Just a Doggie 2:13 Cujo: Official Clip - A Bat Bites Cujo Cujo: Official Clip - A Bat Bites Cujo 1:56 Cujo: Official Clip - Donna Is Bitten Cujo: Official Clip - Donna Is Bitten 2:09 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In this tale of a killer canine, man's best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat, he starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive. As Cujo morphs into a dangerous beast, he goes on a rampage in a small town. Stay-at-home mom Donna (Dee Wallace) gets caught in Cujo's crosshairs on a fateful errand with her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Stuck in their tiny car, Donna and Tad have a frightening showdown with the crazed animal.
Director
Lewis Teague
Producer
Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer
Screenwriter
Stephen King, Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment, Warner Home Vídeo, Republic Pictures, Warner Bros.
Production Co
TAFT Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 3, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 31m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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