The 'Burbs

He's a man of peace in a savage land... Suburbia.

1989 • 102 min • Comedy · Horror · Thriller

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Synopsis

When secretive new neighbors move in next door, suburbanite Ray Peterson and his friends let their paranoia get the best of them as they start to suspect the newcomers of evildoings and commence an investigation. But it's hardly how Ray, who much prefers drinking beer, reading his newspaper and watching a ball game on the tube expected to spend his vacation.

Our family guide

Best from age 10

Movie Knight Score

1401 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
68 Audience · 1399 · 49%

Suburbanite Ray Peterson's quiet vacation turns wild when he and his friends suspect their new neighbors are up to no good. Their escalating paranoia leads to hilarious and chaotic attempts to uncover what's happening next door. It's a dark comedy about curiosity and community gone awry.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 4/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 3/10

Heads up

Some comical but intense situations
Adult language used occasionally
Characters drink alcohol and smoke

What it models well

Curiosity
Friendship
Community spirit (eventually)

Talk about it after

How easily paranoia can take over
The importance of trusting your instincts versus jumping to conclusions
Defining 'normal' in a neighborhood

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

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Top billed cast

Director: Joe Dante • Crew: Dana Olsen

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**_Tom Hanks & neighbors vs. the new weirdo family on the block_** Shot in the summer of 1988, this capitalized on Tom Hanks’ popularity after hits like “Splash” and “Big.” He was in his youthful prime and people flocked to the theaters. It’s a fun flick about any average neighborhood in America, dealing with quirky neighbors and the adult males acting like kids.…
Wuchak, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
"The 'Burbs" develops in the most outrageously crazy ways imaginable as three overly curious neighbours band together and pool their limited resources to investigate their mysterious new neighbours and they inadvertently wreck all manner of assorted havoc upon their neighbourhood in the process.…
kevin2019, TMDB Community