The Funhouse

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The Funhouse

R

Released Apr 13, 1981

1h 36m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

45%

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5,000+ Ratings

Rebellious teen Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz (Cooper Huckabee), and their friends Liz (Largo Woodruff) and Richie (Miles Chapin). Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy Funhouse horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

[Tobe Hooper] shows both his range and his thematic consistency in this luscious, morbid 1981 fairytale.

Jan 11, 2019

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...Hooper spends much of the movie’s endless runtime focused on the one-dimensional protagonists’ meandering, hopelessly tedious exploits.

Rated: 1/4

Nov 25, 2022

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The imaginatively designed funhouse, oddball characters along the periphery, and a masterfully staged climax allow this to stand out.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 11, 2022

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Alan Jones

Starburst

The Funhouse is all the fun of the fair with no disappointment.

Jul 27, 2022

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Diego Galán

El Pais (Spain)

The story is slow, obvious, and repetitive. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 21, 2019

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Charles Webb

MTV

A terrific twist with its killer makes it one worth seeking out.

Jul 3, 2018

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Tom T

Carnies. Circus folk. Nomads, you know. Smell like cabbage. Insight beyond my typical schtick - Nothing over the top. Just well executed and everything I love about films from this era. Very rewatchable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/18/24

Full Review

Jason W

A decent little 80s halloween-esque popcorn flick. Getting past the awkward opening scene as well as the "Frankenstein"/Fortune Teller part, it's actually a neat little film. Don't take it too serious and you'll enjoy it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/04/24

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Julian S

Elegantly crafted with the perfect dose of silliness, though it may feel a tad too slow for impatient viewers.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/13/24

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Jason C

People saying it's boring, no it's suspenseful. Who doesn't like the carnival and freak shows and teenagers running around trying not to get killed that's what makes a great horror movie which this one is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/27/24

Full Review

acsdoug D

I remember watching this when it first came out and thinking it was one of the better films in the slew of psycho slasher movies that came out in the aftermath of John Carpenter's "Halloween." Forty three years later and I still feel the same way, although Elizabeth Berridge is a terrible screamer. I think she is a fine actress, but when it comes to horror she's no Jamie Lee Curtis.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/24

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Audience Member

It's more like a nightmare than fun at the carnival. This is another 1980s slasher movie amongst many directed by Tobe Hooper. Liz gets back at her folks by escaping to the local carnival that's just arrived. Buzz her boyfriend and Liz and Richie accompany her to having a night on the town. But the fun stops when they witness a murder by a deformed psychopath wearing a carnival mask. Amy and the others must escape the killings before the carnival leaves, that is if they can make it through the night. It really does take over an hour for things to get moving. The first kill takes a long time to set things up. I didn't really feel for these characters and the little brother could've been cut from this thing entirely. The killers deformed face looks gruesome though. But there are better slashers out there.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

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Tobe Hooper

Director

Elizabeth Berridge

Amy Harper

Cooper Huckabee

Buzz Dawson

Miles Chapin

Richie

Largo Woodruff

Liz

Sylvia Miles

Madame Zena

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Synopsis

Rebellious teen Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz (Cooper Huckabee), and their friends Liz (Largo Woodruff) and Richie (Miles Chapin). Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy Funhouse horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.

Director: Tobe Hooper
Producer: Derek Power, Steven Bernhardt
Screenwriter: Lawrence Block
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal/Universal Int
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 13, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 7, 2015
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround

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