Gremlins (1984): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Gremlins is a 1984 fantasy horror film directed by Joe Dante, starring Phoebe Cates and Zach Galligan. It runs 1 hour 46 minutes and earned $165.4 million worldwide. It won 3 awards from 7 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1985. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 70 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10. Stream it on HBO Max, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 46m (106 min)
- Director
- Joe Dante
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros.
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Gremlins About?
The premise of Gremlins without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A quirky salesman buys a peculiar creature called a mogwai as a gift, but unknowingly breaks the instructions and spawns a horde of mischievous, destructive gremlins. As Christmas Eve approaches, the gremlins run rampant, causing chaos and mayhem throughout a small town. The salesman and his girlfriend must find a way to stop the creatures before they cause irreversible damage.
Gremlins Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- christmas
- chinatown
- monster
- 1980s
- small town
- gremlin
- creature
- inventor
- mass destruction
- biological multiplication
- opening narration
- pet dog
+38 more Show fewer
- murder
- malfunction
- chinese man
- mischief
- christmas gift
- husband wife relationship
- satire
- father son relationship
- mother son relationship
- dumb cop
- greedy banker
- shady businesswoman
- midnight
- bright light
- water
- gift
- bank
- light sensitivity
- exploding building
- boyfriend girlfriend relationship
- one word title
- gadget
- unlikely hero
- transformation
- rampage
- swimming pool
- movie theater
- title spoken by character
- blender
- creature feature
- cocoon
- stabbed to death
- old woman
- childhood trauma
- kitchen
- responsibility
- skeleton
- melting
Where to Watch Gremlins
Stream it on HBO Max, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 2
HBO Max 
HBO Max Amazon Channel 
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Gremlins Cast
Phoebe Cates leads the cast, with Zach Galligan. Directed by Joe Dante.
-
Director Joe Dante
Gremlins Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Gremlins 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 70 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10.
-
IMDb 7.3 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 86% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 78%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 70 Metascore
User score 7.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 71% User score
See on TMDB
Gremlins Plot Summary
What happens in Gremlins from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the economically struggling northeastern town of Kingston Falls, many residents are feeling the weight of lost jobs from past decades. Among them is Rand Peltzer, a middle-aged inventor with less-than-successful products, who travels to Chinatown in New York City to find a Christmas gift for his son, Billy. Despite Rand’s questionable inventions bringing in little money, Billy, working as a bank teller, manages to keep the family afloat.
While at a local junk shop, Rand stumbles upon a peculiar, furry creature known as a “mogwai” and, despite the elderly owner’s reluctance to sell, he secures the creature through a deal made by the owner’s grandson. Before the transaction, the boy provides Rand with three vital rules for caring for the mogwai, yet he cryptically avoids explaining their significance.
Full summary
The whole story of Gremlins, scene by scene
Gremlins Box Office
Gremlins grossed $165.4 million worldwide. $153.6 million came from the US and Canada and $11.8 million (7%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$165.4M
- US & Canada
- $153.6M
- International
- $11.8M
Gremlins Awards & Nominations
Gremlins won 3 awards from 7 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1985.
3 wins7 nominations1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1985 3 wins · 7 nominations- Won Best Director – Joe Dante
- Won Best Music
- Won Best Special Effects
- Nominated Best Make-up
- Nominated Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Gremlins Trailers & Videos
11 videos: 4 trailers, 6 clips and 1 behind-the-scenes video.
- Trailer Rerelease Trailer
- Trailer Modern Trailer
- Trailer 4K Trailer
- Clip A Man Buys A Mogwai
How Well Do You Know Gremlins?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What unusual creature does Rand Peltzer bring home from Chinatown?
Cars in Gremlins
23 cars on screen, including the 1976 Chevrolet Nova and the Ford 3910.
-
1976 Chevrolet Nova Important role -
Ford 3910 Important role -
1967 Volkswagen Sedan Typ 1 Important role -
1963 Chevrolet Corvair Minor role
Gremlins Also Known As
31 alternative titles, including “Gremlins - riiviöt” and “그렘린”.
- Also known as
-
- Gremlins - riiviöt
- 그렘린
- Gremlins: O Pequeno Monstro
- O Pequeno Monstro
- 小魔怪
- Gremlini
- グレムリン
- 捣蛋鬼
- Gremlins 1 - Kleine Monster
- Gremlins I
- Qremlinlər
- Gremlins - Kleine Monster
+19 more Show fewer
- Гремлины
- Gremlinler
- Gremlins - O Pequeno Monstro
- Riiviöt
- Szörnyecskék
- 小精灵
- Gremliny rozrabiają
- Γκρέμλινς
- גרמלינס
- Гремліни
- Les gremlins
- Гремлини
- 小精靈
- เกรมลินส์ ปีศาจซน
- Gremlinii
- Paharetid
- Gremlinai
- Gremlinak
- مخلوقات الغريملين
Seen Gremlins?
Movies Like Gremlins
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Gremlins: A Christmas Nightmare, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Hobgoblins.
-
Gremlins: A Christmas Nightmare 2018 -
Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 -
Hobgoblins 1988 -
The Christmas Chronicles 2018 -
The Christmas Toy 1986 -
How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 -
Christmas Town 2008 -
All the Creatures Were Stirring 2018 -
Krampus 2015 -
Magic Christmas Tree 1964 -
Munchie 1992 -
The Monster’s Christmas 1981
Gremlins FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Gremlins, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Gremlins?
Gremlins runs 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).
When was Gremlins released?
Gremlins was released on June 8, 1984.
Who directed Gremlins?
Gremlins was directed by Joe Dante.
More films by Joe Dante Who is in the cast of Gremlins?
Gremlins stars Phoebe Cates and Zach Galligan.
Where can I watch Gremlins?
In the US, Gremlins is streaming on HBO Max and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Gremlins make at the box office?
Gremlins grossed $165.4 million worldwide ($153.6 million domestic, $11.8 million international).
How is Gremlins rated?
Gremlins has 7.3/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 70 on Metacritic and 71% on TMDB.
What awards did Gremlins win?
Gremlins won 3 awards from 7 nominations, including Best Director at the Saturn Awards 1985.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
