Gremlins (1984) Review – A Chaotic and Hilarious Festive Creature Feature

Welcome to Knockout Horror and to our review of Gremlins.

Christmas scares for the kids… and adults!

Directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus, Gremlins is absolutely essential Christmas viewing. Do I even need to summarise this one? Gremlins follows the adventures of Billy and Gizmo. Billy is gifted a strange creature called a Mogwai for Christmas. The only catch is he has to follow a few simple rules: don’t get the Mogwai wet, don’t feed it after midnight, and no bright light.

“Gremlins is a chaotic, and slightly dark, comic horror movie. It features a lovable mascot in Gizmo that kids are sure to adore; the gremlins themselves, however, are disgusting fur-less things that cause havoc.”

Little does Billy realise that breaking the rules will result in catastrophe as a malevolent horde of Gremlins is unleashed on the local town. Gremlins is a chaotic, and slightly dark, comic horror movie. It features a lovable mascot in Gizmo that kids are sure to adore; he sings, he dances, and he watches TV. The gremlins themselves, however, are disgusting fur-less things that cause havoc.

Set in the gorgeous, snow-covered town of Kingston Falls around Christmas, the festive feeling is prominent throughout. Things start off fairly slow but, as soon as Gizmo gets wet, things start to get a bit manic. Perhaps a bit too scary for very small kids, there are some pretty intense scenes here and there. The gremlins care not for humans and are simply looking to entertain themselves.

They stalk Billy’s mum, they torment a disabled woman, and they hang out in the pub smoking and drinking. Certainly not behaviour becoming of an adorable Mogwai. For slightly older kids, Gremlins is a great introduction to horror.

A strange origin

The concept for Gremlins came from Chris Columbus hearing mice running around in his loft. He mentioned how hearing them running around at night, while he lay in darkness, was rather creepy. With this, the seed was planted and Gremlins was born. Columbus penned the script more as a concept than anything else. He hadn’t intended to make a movie from it; he just wanted something as proof that he could write a competent script.

It was legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg that stepped in and helped bring the project to life, suggesting they turn the script into a movie. A number of scripts and story arcs were proposed for Gremlins. Originally intended to be darker, Spielberg had to push for a ratings change just so Gremlins could avoid a higher rating. The MPAA’s PG-13 is a direct result of this movie.

Without the changes to the original story, this would have been a far more gruesome picture. It is still fairly dark with its themes of mayhem and chaos. It turned out to be an inspired decision as Gizmo became a popular merchandise figure perfect for kids.

Better than the sum of its parts

The thing that stands out, for me, about Gremlins, is that it isn’t actually a particularly great movie. It is hard to point out anything that it does really well. It is something of a loose collection of set pieces, a whole bunch of mayhem, and a thin story tying it all together.

“The gremlins are rude and obnoxious leading to loads of laughs. They wear ridiculous costumes and have disgusting habits; one of them even has a penchant for flashing the humans.”

Despite this, it is still a hell of a lot of fun. It has the same kind of charm and sense of adventure as The Goonies and other great 80s films. The set pieces and action keeps everything rolling along nicely. Throw in a determined pursuit by Billy and Lynn and you have a story to invest in, even in spite of its shaky premise.

It is also wickedly funny. The gremlins, themselves, are rude and obnoxious leading to loads of laughs. They wear ridiculous costumes and have disgusting habits; one of them even has a penchant for flashing the humans. The actors in the film keep their tongues firmly in their cheeks throughout. Small touches really add to the humour. Randall’s awful inventions are noteworthy and the characters’, seemingly, legitimate reactions to them are always worth a laugh. Lynn desperately attempting to serve the gremlins alcohol at the bar, all while avoiding flying bottles, is hilarious. It is scene after scene of absolute carnage.

Obviously it isn’t a scary movie; it’s more focused on chaotic and manic shenanigans. The times where Gremlins is at its scariest, however, are when they are stalking people. A segment with Billy’s mum is set up almost like a slasher movie. Scenes inside the school with teacher Mr Hanson can be quite tense. You could argue that they are actually potentially upsetting. I can imagine kids will, perhaps, be quite perturbed at just how badly the gremlins treat Gizmo, as well.

Excellent acting

Acting is excellent throughout. I really enjoyed Hoyt Axton as failed inventor Randall. He comes across as a warm character. His legitimate corpsing as his devices go wrong is honestly hilarious. I enjoyed Frances Lee McCain’s tense action scenes in the house with the gremlins. Phoebe Cates is excellent as Kate. Gremlins is a reminder of how disappointing it was that she retired from acting. Zach Galligan is perfectly cast as Billy. He does look far older than the teenager he is supposed to be portraying, however. He is tasked with interacting with the Mogwai more than anyone and is always convincing.

Designed by Chris Walas, the real stars of the show are the gremlins themselves. Howie Mandel voices Gizmo with the excellent Frank Welker playing the evil Stripe. The Mogwai were made from rubber, apparently, and some featured mechanical movement. They were, by all accounts, a nightmare to work with. Costing over $40,000 each, the security at the studio searched people’s cars on the way out to make sure none went missing.

Joe Dante insisted on the Mogwai being very small. He wanted them to look adorable and thought that smaller would be better. The result was models that broke down frequently. Gizmo was particularly bad for this. The scene in which Gizmo has darts thrown at him was put in as a request by the team. They wanted to vent their frustrations. Poor Gizmo!

Perfectly festive

Gremlins is a great-looking movie. Even now, years later, the gremlins themselves look fantastic. The animatronics have held up incredibly well. An, obviously, huge amount of effort went into creating some of the busier scenes. The pay-off is impressive. Numerous gremlins litter the environment, all doing their own thing. Scenes such as those at the bar are busy and utterly engaging. It’s fun just to watch what each gremlin is doing.

“Red and green lights permeate the environment. Snow covers the ground and decorations are everywhere. There has been a concerted effort here to ensure this movie feels Christmassy.”

The festive setting is fantastic, as well. Red and green lights permeate the environment. Snow covers the ground and decorations are everywhere. There has been a concerted effort here to ensure this movie feels Christmassy. There are rarely scenes that aren’t beautifully lit and full of Christmas cheer. It is the perfect festive movie.

There are a few negatives here and there. The famous “Santa Claus in the chimney” story told by Kate bears mention. It’s a ridiculous scene with a farcical story that even Spielberg didn’t know whether it was supposed to be funny or serious. A few of the scenes drag their feet a little. Diversions to a few different side characters’ houses feel a bit pointless. One sets up a pretty funny scene featuring a stairlift but others feel a bit redundant. A little bit of trimming here and there would have helped the pacing. Still, this is a brilliant Christmas horror with hardly anything to complain about.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.