Gremlins (1984 film) — Joe Dante comedy-horror about a mogwai and destructive gremlins

Premise

The story follows a young man who is given a mysterious creature called a mogwai. When certain precautions are ignored, the mogwai reproduce and the offspring rapidly evolve into small, malicious creatures that wreak havoc on the town. The contrast between the film’s darkly comic moments and more violent sequences is a notable element of its tone.

Key elements

• Central creature: the mogwai and its transformation into gremlins.
• Main cast: Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with contributions from Howie Mandel.
• Creative team: screenplay by Chris Columbus, direction by Joe Dante, and executive production by Steven Spielberg.

Reception and influence

On release, the film was commercially successful and generated a range of critical responses, from strong praise to some criticism for its more intense scenes. Its mix of family-oriented humor with visible violence contributed to public and industry discussion about suitable ratings for children’s films; that debate was one factor cited in the period leading up to the introduction of the PG-13 rating by the MPAA.

Sequel

The film was followed by a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990.