Cujo

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Cujo

R

1983

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In this tale of a killer canine, man's best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat, he starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive. As Cujo morphs into a dangerous beast, he goes on a rampage in a small town. Stay-at-home mom Donna (Dee Wallace) gets caught in Cujo's crosshairs on a fateful errand with her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Stuck in their tiny car, Donna and Tad have a frightening showdown with the crazed animal.

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Critics Consensus

Cujo is artless work punctuated with moments of high canine gore and one wild Dee Wallace performance.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Sep 5, 2019

The movie is as nasty and single-minded as Cujo himself: It's simple, and it works.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Oct 4, 2017

"Cujo" no doubt presented fewer difficulties for a novelist than it does for a movie director.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

A dull, uneventful entry in the horror genre.

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Dec 18, 2023

3/4

The raw performances by Danny Pintauro and Dee Wallace are key here, as they effectively embody abject terror and desperation, respectively.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 8, 2023

2.5/4

Director Lewis Teague does what he can in an attempt to maximize tension, but there’s only so much he can do with such a limited setting and such a sparse story.

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Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Apr 12, 2023

A truly absurd film that never found the conductor thread of its story... transporting the facts from the novel wasn't enough. [Full review in Spanish]

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Teddy B

@RT90521672 1 day ago

Well-crafted suspense, admirably hot and suffocating in atmosphere, with inventive camerawork and solid lead performances. Teague is a fine director, effectively exhibiting his prowess in this simple and fairly faithful adaptation of the King classic.

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John K

@RT59028310 Nov 2, 2026

Intense thriller that does an admirable job with King's excellent book. There is a major change in the ending but I appreciated it! Dee Wallace is outstanding in a difficult role.

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Ashequl I

@Tofa13 Sep 16, 2026

Cujo, an animal horror movie. But it wasn’t that scary at all, though it was fun. The story was from Stephen King, and after watching it, you could feel it. The horror worked, and the experience was not so bad. But the acting was bad. The movie stretches too long, and the ending was not very satisfying. It was predictable. Have to say, the dog acted so perfectly.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

Cujo based on a Story by Stephen King = a *3* star movie!

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 3, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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C.K. B

@C.K.Blackwood Jun 5, 2026

Just one of those stories that cannot be properly translated from book to film.

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Lewis Teague

Director

Dee Wallace

Donna Trenton

Danny Pintauro

Tad Trenton

Daniel Hugh Kelly

Vic Trenton

Christopher Stone

Steve Kemp

Ed Lauter

Joe Camber

Cujo: Official Clip - Breathe!

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Cujo: Official Clip - Cujo Won't Hurt Him

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Cujo: Official Clip - Get Back in That Barn, Damn You

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Cujo: Official Clip - You're Rabid!

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Cujo: Official Clip - What's the Matter?

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Cujo: Official Clip - It's Just a Doggie

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Cujo: Official Clip - A Bat Bites Cujo

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Cujo: Official Clip - Donna Is Bitten

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Synopsis

In this tale of a killer canine, man's best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat, he starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive. As Cujo morphs into a dangerous beast, he goes on a rampage in a small town. Stay-at-home mom Donna (Dee Wallace) gets caught in Cujo's crosshairs on a fateful errand with her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Stuck in their tiny car, Donna and Tad have a frightening showdown with the crazed animal.

Director: Lewis Teague
Producer: Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer
Screenwriter: Stephen King, Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier
Distributor: Artisan Entertainment, Warner Home Vídeo, Republic Pictures, Warner Bros.
Production Co: TAFT Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 3, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 33m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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