Cujo

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Cujo

R

Released Aug 3, 1983

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

45 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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Critics Consensus

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

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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

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Variety Staff

Variety

A dull, uneventful entry in the horror genre.

Mar 26, 2009

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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

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RedApple A

Dee Wallace seamlessly embodies her character, but the film overall falls short in terms of horror and suspense. Stephen King's novel masterfully delves into the psychologies of each character individually, whereas the film lacks depth in portraying the characters' motivations or fails to depict them effectively. Nevertheless, it remains worth watching.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Tj A.

Cujo failed to live up to its book counterpart. While still a good adaptation, it misses crucial story moments from the book while being stale and uninteresting at times.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

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BRENDEN J

Cujo was a great classic horror film that scared me but in a good way!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/02/25

Full Review

Joey W

I hate cujo from 1983 because it is a rated R movie that is darker, twisted, and it is about a scary dog named cujo who got bit by a bat and killed other people, I just heard one scene he bit up the mom, kids, dislike this movie, Because it is freaking terrifying

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

Full Review

Tyler B

The growling is too much to bear.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

Full Review

Calvin T

Five star classic ✌🏾

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

Full Review

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Lewis Teague

Director

Dee Wallace

Donna Trenton

Danny Pintauro

Tad Trenton

Daniel Hugh Kelly

Vic Trenton

Christopher Stone

Steve Kemp

Ed Lauter

Joe Camber

Cujo: Official Clip - Breathe!

2:13

Cujo: Official Clip - Cujo Won't Hurt Him

2:13

Cujo: Official Clip - Get Back in That Barn, Damn You

2:05

Cujo: Official Clip - You're Rabid!

2:13

Cujo: Official Clip - What's the Matter?

2:03

Cujo: Official Clip - It's Just a Doggie

2:13

Cujo: Official Clip - A Bat Bites Cujo

1:56

Cujo: Official Clip - Donna Is Bitten

2:09

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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 33m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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