Ernest Scared Stupid

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Ernest Scared Stupid

PG

1991

1h 31m

Kids & Family

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

27%

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11 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) is working as a garbage collector in a small Missouri town. Despite the warnings of superstitious local Old Lady Hackmore (Eartha Kitt), he accidentally unleashes devious troll Trantor (Jonas Moscartolo), a slimy creature confined under a tree for 200 years. Trantor changes some kids into wooden dolls and turns Ernest's dog, Rimshot, into a log. Ernest then teams up with Old Lady Hackmore to get rid of the beast and bring the victims back to life.

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23, 2025

4/10

This film isn’t for me, but it’s a cult millennial legend for a reason. It did a lot of things right, even if it’s too scary for little kids and way too boring for me.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 23, 2025

6/10

The primary appeal here is Ernest running and screaming and crashing into things and getting doused with gunk, as if a live-action Scooby-Doo entity.

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

Nov 4, 2024

This farcical kids versus gloopy monster comedy-horror adventure might please nostalgic parents but Ernest is unlikely to find any new fans with this outing.

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Avaryl Halley

Movie Bitches

Apr 24, 2024

The best of the Ernest Movies. The practical FX are amazing!

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Andrew Galdi

Movie Bitches

Apr 24, 2024

6.5/10

Is this the inspiration for Hocus Pocus?

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Austin Kennedy

Sin Magazine

May 21, 2012

2/4

In a perfect world, the kids from THE MONSTER SQUAD would've teams up with Ernest to battle the trolls. Now THAT would be a fun movie!

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Pete D

@RT39685334 May 1, 2026

I moved my 6 month old brother into my bedroom for a few months after watching this as a kid. Thought he could protect me from the troll in the bed.

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s

@HQresurrection Feb 23, 2026

It's a childhood silly horror movie. I absolutely love Ernest and Jim Varney. His movie's will always be amazing.

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Anna M

@AMar29 Nov 1, 2025

A fun, funny, & perfect Halloween film for the family. If you love the corny ridiculousness of 90s films, you'll enjoy this one. This is my family's favorite Halloween season film. Warning: it can be scary for young children. It scared me as a child, but I still loved it even when it scared me! Still love it as an adult. Highly recommend it for a goofy, fun Halloween evening.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Oct 30, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 31 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All ages admitted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ruby S

@RT97129339 Oct 29, 2025

Watching Ernest Scared Stupid is a yearly Halloween tradition! It’s the best of all the Ernest movies, with a surprising amount of heart, tons of classic physical comedy, and impressive special effects that might be a little too scary for younger audiences.

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Joel H

@786Joel Oct 25, 2025

Any Ernest movie is an acquired taste. However, before you write-off this one, you should know it’s actually a great horror movie for kids. I’ve been surprised by how many of my children were frightened by this film, despite how silly it is. The creature effects are actually impressive, even with the low budget, and Jim Varney is doing his best to entertain the viewers, even when It doesn’t make much sense. And there are plenty of plot points that don’t makes sense. So no, I don’t think this is a high-quality film, but I do think that Ernest Scared Stupid is fun family film to watch during October.

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John R. Cherry III

Director

Jim Varney

Ernest

Eartha Kitt

Old Lady Hackmore

Austin Nagler

Kenny

Shay Astar

Elizabeth

Jonas Moscartolo

Trantor

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35%

53%

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Synopsis

Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) is working as a garbage collector in a small Missouri town. Despite the warnings of superstitious local Old Lady Hackmore (Eartha Kitt), he accidentally unleashes devious troll Trantor (Jonas Moscartolo), a slimy creature confined under a tree for 200 years. Trantor changes some kids into wooden dolls and turns Ernest's dog, Rimshot, into a log. Ernest then teams up with Old Lady Hackmore to get rid of the beast and bring the victims back to life.

Director: John R. Cherry III
Producer: Stacy Williams, Coke Sams
Screenwriter: Charles Gale, Coke Sams
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 1991, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.1M
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Surround

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