Family FavoritePG

Gremlins

Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous.

1984 • 106 min • Fantasy · Horror · Comedy

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.

Our family guide

Best from age 9

Movie Knight Score

7073 reviews

80 Reviewers · 5 · 65%
71 Audience · 7068 · 35%

A young man receives an unusual pet for Christmas, but inadvertently breaks the rules for its care. This unleashes a horde of mischievous and destructive creatures upon his small town, turning the holiday season upside down.

Violence & peril: 5/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 6/10

Heads up

Monsters are frequently destroyed in violent ways
Some brief scenes of alcohol consumption in a bar
Characters face constant threats and jump scares

What it models well

The importance of following rules
Loyalty to family and pets
Resourcefulness in a crisis

Talk about it after

Understanding consequences for actions
Dealing with fear and the unknown
The responsibility of pet ownership

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Gremlins. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Peacock Premium
Peacock Premium Plus

Rent

Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Joe Dante • Crew: Chris Columbus

Trailers & clips

Christmas Shopping in Chinatown

Chaos In The Kitchen

Gizmo To The Rescue!

Ten Minute Preview

Multiplying Mowagi

Billy Meets Gizmo

Gremlins (1984) Theatrical Teaser Trailer [4K] [FTD-1324]

Billy Fights Gremlin

Reviewer notes

Recommended
When his gadget-peddling dad returns home one evening with an early Christmas present, he tells “Billy” (Zach Galligan) that he must take extra care not to get it wet, nor to expose it to bright light and - most importantly, no nibbles after midnight. That might have been ok, save for his friend who accidentally breaks one of the rules. One becomes two, becomes four, becomes… They are quite cute and cuddly little ...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**Clever, creepy, Christmasy, and loads of fun! Gremlins should be a part of everyone's Christmas traditions!** Gremlins should be at the top of everyone's favorite Christmas movie list. It's full of the 80s teenage adventure cheesiness, cute cuddly creatures, and creepy monsters. Gremlins radiates the same classic spirit and tone as other films of the time, like The Goonies or E.T., but Gremlins adds a little ...
mooney240, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Weirdly, it's one of my favourite Christmas movies! It was heartwarming, a little scary and outright amusing. It's one of those films where the bad guys still the show. Also, is it me or does the girl look a little like adult star Ava Dalush?! Anyway, what I'm saying is, Gremlins is another classic.
Peter89Spencer, TMDB Community

Recommended
_**Cute creatures morph into hellions during Christmas**_ A traveling inventor (Hoyt Axton) brings home a cute animal he bought at a shop in Chinatown for a Christmas gift, but the rules for the animal’s care are broken and all hell breaks loose. Zach Galligan plays the son and Phoebe Cates his girlfriend. “Gremlins” (1984) mixes Christmas movie with Comedy, Fantasy & Horror for an entertaining popcorn fl...
Wuchak, TMDB Community

Not recommended
Overall, movie was strange. It did have a few suspenseful moments, but overall want that great of a horror film. And I definitely wouldn't call it a comedy. Based on all the hype it has had I wasn't that impressed.
mizjmarie, TMDB Community