The 'Burbs (1989): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
The 'Burbs is a 1989 mystery thriller directed by Joe Dante, starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes and earned $49.1 million worldwide. Critics gave it 45 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 41m (101 min)
- Director
- Joe Dante
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The 'Burbs About?
The premise of The 'Burbs without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A man's relaxing summer vacation takes a disturbing turn when a mysterious new family moves in next door. Growing increasingly suspicious of their odd behavior, he enlists the help of his equally peculiar friends to investigate. Their amateur sleuthing escalates into a frantic search for answers as unsettling events unfold and the seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood hides a sinister secret.
The 'Burbs Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- dark comedy
- suburb
- suburbia
- missing person
- basement
- suspicion
- paranoia
- spying on neighbor
- backyard
- yuppie
- investigation
- vietnam war veteran
+38 more Show fewer
- teenage boy
- voyeur
- fear
- new neighbor
- breaking and entering
- next door neighbor
- trespassing
- neighborhood
- cult film
- observation
- teenager
- murder
- exploding house
- psychopath
- serial killer
- electrocution
- pet dog
- vacation
- power outage
- painting
- nightmare
- husband wife relationship
- human sacrifice
- home invasion
- digging
- breaking the fourth wall
- obsession
- dog
- studio logo segues into film
- old dark house
- title spoken by character
- suspected murder
- lethal injection
- tripwire
- earth viewed from space
- bandaged face
- subjective camera
- anger
The 'Burbs Cast
Tom Hanks leads the cast, with Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher. Directed by Joe Dante; 4 actors are credited in all.
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Director Joe Dante
More from Joe Dante
More films directed by Joe Dante, best-rated first: Gremlins, Rock 'n' Roll High School, Innerspace and Nightmare Cinema.
The 'Burbs Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The 'Burbs 45 on Metacritic.
-
Metacritic 45 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic
The 'Burbs Plot Summary
What happens in The 'Burbs from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Suburban resident Ray Peterson (played by Tom Hanks) is amidst a week-long vacation, savoring some much-needed relaxation. However, his tranquility shatters as he starts to notice strange happenings around the enigmatic Klopek residence, which has unexpectedly become a fixture in the neighborhood. As night falls, Ray’s discomfort escalates, as he perceives a lurking malevolence behind the reclusive neighbors’ seemingly ordinary exterior.
As the days unfold, Ray’s initial unease morphs into outright suspicion. Along with his friends, Art Weingartner (portrayed by Bruce Dern) and Vietnam War veteran Mark Rumsfield (played by …), Ray begins to weave a disturbing narrative from their observations. They note strange patterns in the Klopeks’ behavior, including an obsessive care for their garbage cans and strange late-night activities involving digging in their garden.
Full summary
The whole story of The 'Burbs, scene by scene
The 'Burbs Box Office
The 'Burbs grossed $49.1 million worldwide. $36.6 million came from the US and Canada and $12.5 million (25%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$49.1M
- US & Canada
- $36.6M
- International
- $12.5M
The 'Burbs Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 featurette.
- Trailer The 'Burbs (1989) Official Trailer - Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern Movie HD
- Featurette Ti West on THE BURBS
How Well Do You Know The 'Burbs?
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
Who is the main character in The 'Burbs?
Cars in The 'Burbs
15 cars on screen, including the 1975 Pontiac Catalina and the 1978 Chevrolet Chevy Van.
-
1975 Pontiac Catalina Important role -
1978 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role -
1981 Chevrolet Impala Minor role -
1979 Dodge Dodge Van Minor role
The 'Burbs Also Known As
29 alternative titles, including “Предградията” and “No matarás... al vecino”.
- Also known as
-
- Предградията
- No matarás... al vecino
- 邻居
- Meine teuflischen Nachbarn
- Предместье
- Piru naapurissa
- L'erba del vicino
- Ami sok, az sokk
- Les Banlieusards
- Крайградски квартал
- Lidé z předměstí
- S.O.S. Vizinhos ao Ataque
+17 more Show fewer
- Nabokrigen
- The Burbs
- שכנים
- Meus Vizinhos São um Terror
- Μια γειτονιά απίθανη
- Meraklı Komşular
- 유령 마을
- Na przedmieściach
- S.O.S. Vecinos al ataque
- En djävul till granne
- 地狱来的芳邻
- 地獄來的芳鄰
- メイフィールドの怪人たち
- Передмістя
- Vecinii
- Nepodnošljivi susjedi
- Kaimynai
Seen The 'Burbs?
Movies Like The 'Burbs
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Suburbicon, Disturbia and Weirdsville.
The 'Burbs FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The 'Burbs, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The 'Burbs?
The 'Burbs runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).
When was The 'Burbs released?
The 'Burbs was released on February 17, 1989.
Who directed The 'Burbs?
The 'Burbs was directed by Joe Dante.
More films by Joe Dante Who is in the cast of The 'Burbs?
The 'Burbs stars Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher, among 4 credited actors.
How much did The 'Burbs make at the box office?
The 'Burbs grossed $49.1 million worldwide ($36.6 million domestic, $12.5 million international).
How is The 'Burbs rated?
The 'Burbs has 45 on Metacritic.
Does The 'Burbs have a post-credit scene?
No. The 'Burbs has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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