The Frighteners

Play trailer

The Frighteners

R

Released Jul 19, 1996

1h 49m

Fantasy

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

44 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Once an architect, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife (Trini Alvarado) of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent (Jeffrey Combs).

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Boasting top-notch special effects and exuberant direction from Peter Jackson, The Frighteners is visually striking but tonally uneven.

Read Critics Reviews

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

[Michael J.] Fox seems to be trying to get hip in the movies, and he's lost his way here.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 23, 2017

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Story was originally conceived as an episode of "Tales From the Crypt," and that is perhaps what it should have remained, as the thinness of the conceit shows throughout, painfully so in the first half.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

At times the relentless special effects and tangled plotting veer towards visual and narrative overkill, but the final tonal swerve is shocking and effective.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Like a scatter gun hitting everything in sight, the movie has a maddening pace and is all over the place.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 13, 2024

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

The rare horror-comedy that is both funny and creepy, thanks to the charming cast and the inventive direction.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 22, 2023

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

Twenty-five years on and what's striking about The Frighteners is how well the effects and Jackson's tension-building have held up.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 27, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Albert R

Starts as a comedy, but turns into a true horror movie. I've of Michael J Fox's best.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/10/21

Full Review

Jay H

I completely understand why a lot of people don't like this movie. I dig it, but it's not for everyone.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/08/24

Full Review

Kitty _

The frighteners is a thoroughly enjoyable ghost fest and rewatching it after so many years has made me lament the passing of Fox who plays his role so perfectly. Jake Bussy is also a thoroughly believable nut job. The story is straightforward but it works, there isn't any glaring plot holes and they don't try to pretend there is anything too deep. Give it a go if you feel like some escapism.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/24

Full Review

Michael S

Easily one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen. It's an absolute shame how bad it did at the box office. The cast is excellent, the soundtrack is awesome & the humor totally works. Michael J. Fox is amazing, miss him in cinema.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Teddy B

Peter Jackson's direction is spot-on, but the plot is just undercooked enough and Michael. J. Fox is very much miscast to not make this a great swan song for Peter Jackson's exuberant and audacious filmography as a cult director.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

Full Review

Dallas H

Although this movie is a notch in the Hollywood careers of Michael J. Fox and Peter Jackson, it feels like a chaotic mess. Fox is at his peak during the 80s on through to the mid-90s. Jackson was building his career as a director before he landed the sweet production deal of a lifetime with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Frighteners feels like a "Chaotic Neutral" story to me. It gives the vibes of being everywhere at once while following a traditionally linear storyline. And I'm not sure how I feel about all the supernatural ghosts being original to this movie's story except for the randomly unoriginal cameo appearance of R. Lee Ermey in what seems to be a direct copycat of his role in Full Metal Jacket.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Peter Jackson

Director

Michael J. Fox

Frank Bannister

Trini Alvarado

Dr. Lucy Lynskey

Peter Dobson

Ray Lynskey

John Astin

The Judge

Jeffrey Combs

Milton Dammers

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Back from Hell

3:00

The Frighteners: Official Clip - A-Hole with an Uzi

2:15

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Death Comes for Lucy

2:38

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Frank Bannister in Action

3:29

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Sergeant Spook

1:34

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Fleeing the Reaper

3:00

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Death in the Restroom

2:04

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Psycho Killers

2:39

The Frighteners: Official Clip - African American Apparition Coalition

1:46

The Frighteners: Official Clip - Fighting Death

3:00

View more videos

No Such Thing

31%

59%

No Such Thing

Watchlist

Ted 2

45%

50%

Ted 2

Watchlist

Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood

14%

31%

Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood

Watchlist

The Witches of Eastwick

66%

62%

The Witches of Eastwick

Watchlist

Hot Tub Time Machine 2

14%

26%

Hot Tub Time Machine 2

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Peter Jackson’s Oral History of Weta Digital

"Zoom" Tomatometer: Zero

"Terabithia" Starts Production Down Under

View more photos

Synopsis

Once an architect, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife (Trini Alvarado) of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent (Jeffrey Combs).

Director: Peter Jackson
Producer: Jamie Selkirk, Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures, WingNut Films
Rating: R
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.5M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Stereo, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now