The Frighteners

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Albert R Oct 10, 2021 Starts as a comedy, but turns into a true horror movie. I've of Michael J Fox's best. See more Allan C @RT15713161 2 days ago Peter Jackson’s Forgotten Comic/Horror Treat The Frighteners (1996) ****1/2 Peter Jackson’s often overlooked horror comedy remains a deliriously entertaining haunted house thrill ride, mixing genuine suspense, macabre humor, and wonderfully imaginative creature effects. Michael J. Fox is terrific as a phony ghostbuster with a real supernatural gift, but Jeffrey Combs steals every scene as an unhinged FBI agent. The CGI has aged considerably, but Danny Elfman’s terrific score and Jackson’s gleefully twisted imagination make this a perfect Halloween treat. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW See more Oliver C @OliverClose Oct 7, 2026 The Frighteners knows that death can have a sense of humor. The ghosts are strange. The living are worse. The line between them grows thin. The performances give the film its dark comic pulse. The writing keeps the scares sharp and the jokes sharper. Beneath the laughs sits grief, guilt, and a man who cannot escape the dead or himself. See more Matthew D @OceanSage Sep 19, 2026 Michael J. Fox is wonderful as this ghostbuster con man in Peter Jackson’s goofy ghost romp. Director Peter Jackson’s supernatural horror-comedy murder-mystery The Frighteners (1996) is pretty cute and amusing. The humor is very much like the silly Looney Tunes humor of Who Framed Roger Rabbit that producer Robert Zemeckis directed. It’s interesting that The Frighteners has things in common with Ghostbusters, Badlands, Beetlejuice, Constantine, Psycho, and The Exorcist, but it ends up closer to Casper. It’s very child friendly. Canadian actor Michael J. Fox is wonderful as ghost hunter Frank Bannister. Fox is heartfelt mourning his wife, funny with the ghosts, but plays it quite seriously. He juxtaposes the overacting of the rest of the ensemble nicely. Trini Alvarado is lovely and touching as the grieving Dr. Lucy Lynskey. She plays well opposite Fox. Jeffrey Combs steals his scenes as the crazy FBI agent Milton Dammers, who is basically doing a Jim Carrey impression. See more Freja A @FrejaGaan Sep 4, 2026 The Frighteners is a fun, spooky ride that perfectly blends horror, comedy, and supernatural mystery. The quirky characters, creative effects, and playful tone make it entertaining from start to finish. Michael J. Fox is fantastic in the lead, bringing plenty of charm and humor to the role. It’s a unique and underrated ghost story with just the right mix of scares and laughs. See more Cecilia S @Cecilia2 Aug 21, 2026 The Frighteners is a horror-comedy that looks like a haunted house got hit by a lightning bolt and decided to become a crime movie. Michael J. Fox is perfectly twitchy and charming, the ghosts are gloriously weird, and the whole thing dances between slapstick and genuine darkness. Messy, macabre, and oddly poignant. The dead have never been this much fun. See more Read all reviews

The Frighteners

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