Critters

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Critters

PG-13

1986

1h 24m

Horror

Sci-Fi

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When strange fuzzy creatures from outer space arrive on a farm, the Brown family -- Jay (Billy Green Bush), Helen (Dee Wallace-Stone), their daughter, April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and their son, Brad (Scott Grimes) -- must fend off the malevolent little aliens. Two bounty hunters with superhuman abilities follow the aggressive beasts from beyond, but the warriors aren't terribly effective, leaving the Brown family to battle the fur balls and rescue April from their clutches all by themselves.

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Critics Consensus

While Critters ekes out some fun from a game cast and screwball tone, the titular monsters fail to deliver the credible menace that makes a creature feature satisfying.

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Oct 28, 2021

3/5

The lead monsters are sort of endearingly nasty and the movie has fun with its small town setting, but the film is perhaps a little too derivative to pass muster with the best of retro-chic [science fiction].

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Variety Staff

Variety

Oct 28, 2021

Critters resemble oversize hairballs and roll like tumbleweeds when prodded into action, the perfect menace for this irritatingly insipid and lightweight film which unfolds with plodding predictability and leaves few cliches unturned.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Oct 27, 2021

It's so pitifully plain that the budget won't stretch to showing bigger Critters that the pathetic effect becomes laughable.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Oct 2, 2025

1.5/4

...a mostly misguided disaster.

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23, 2025

7/10

It’s not going to blow you away or even make you feel scared. But it’s not really supposed to make you scared. It’s supposed to be a somewhat risque and fun film for you to sit down with your youngsters on a Friday night and munch on some popcorn over.

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Sep 4, 2024

3.5/5

More than a ripoff of Gremlins, Critters is a fun, Amblin-esque family adventure with plenty of amusing sequences and extremely memorable titular creature design, though at times the events at the farm and in the town feel disconnected

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Trey P

@FenrirShadowWolf 4 days ago

Great Movie Definitely worth a watch.

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Nolan M

@vyzee Sep 30, 2026

Charming and entertaining, but the nonstop action takes at least 30 minutes to begin so it’s a bit slow.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 15, 2026

Critters = a 2.5 star Movie!

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Gerardo Chvarry T

@Cinestrenos Sep 7, 2026

Critters is one of those movies that will always have a special place in my childhood. I first discovered it recorded on VHS—actually, I saw Critters 2 before the original—and revisiting it brings back everything I love about ’80s genre cinema: practical effects, rock music, visceral gore, strange creatures and that unmistakable B-movie charm. The premise is surprisingly original for 1986. Instead of another stereotypical alien, we get small, aggressive creatures that roll around, grow by eating, reproduce through eggs and can even shoot tranquilizing needles. Their design is fantastic, and the practical effects give them a physical presence that CGI could never recreate in the same way. The movie also has a fun relationship with Gremlins, although Critters leans harder into science-fiction horror. Final Thought: A nostalgic, violent and genuinely creative creature feature that still works decades later.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 1, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Cristopher S

@cris_sanchez Aug 20, 2026

Una película que consiguió entretenerme un poco, pero que tampoco considero particularmente buena. Entiendo perfectamente que es una película antigua y por eso puedo dejar parcialmente de lado unos efectos especiales que no han envejecido demasiado bien. Mi mayor problema está en ciertas inconsistencias de los personajes, especialmente el padre, que tiene reacciones bastante extrañas dependiendo de quién esté en peligro. Tiene momentos entretenidos y cierta intriga inicial, pero en general se queda simplemente en una película regular.

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Stephen Herek

Director

Dee Wallace

Helen Brown

M. Emmet Walsh

Harv

Terrence Mann

Johnny Steele

Billy Green Bush

Jay Brown

Scott Grimes

Brad Brown

Critters: Official Clip - Neelix Gets Eaten!

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Critters: Official Clip - F***!

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Critters: Official Clip - E.T. MOM’S GOT A SHOTGUN

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Critters: Official Clip - CRITTERS EAT E.T.!

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Critters: Official Clip - The Critters ATTACK!

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Critters: Official Clip - Hunting the Crites!

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Critters: Official Clip - It’s Meaner Than Hell!

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Critters: Official Clip - The Critters’ Spaceship Explodes

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Critters: Official Clip - Alien Bounty Hunters in Church

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Critters: Official Clip - Billy Zane Dies

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Synopsis

When strange fuzzy creatures from outer space arrive on a farm, the Brown family -- Jay (Billy Green Bush), Helen (Dee Wallace-Stone), their daughter, April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and their son, Brad (Scott Grimes) -- must fend off the malevolent little aliens. Two bounty hunters with superhuman abilities follow the aggressive beasts from beyond, but the warriors aren't terribly effective, leaving the Brown family to battle the fur balls and rescue April from their clutches all by themselves.

Director: Stephen Herek
Producer: Rupert Harvey, Barry Opper
Screenwriter: Domonic Muir, Stephen Herek
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Sho Films, Smart Egg Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.3M
Runtime: 1h 24m

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