The Frighteners

Name: The Frighteners
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Comedy
Released: July 19, 1996
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 52
Cast: Chi McBride, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey, Jeffrey Combs, Jim Fyfe

1996

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Ratings

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The Frighteners

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Movie Details & Credits

Finnkino | Release Date: July 19, 1996 | R

Starring: Chi McBride, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey, Jeffrey Combs, Jim Fyfe, John Astin, Michael J. Fox, Peter Dobson, Trini Alvarado, Troy Evans

Summary: After a tragic car accident kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead.

Director: Peter Jackson

Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 110 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Ken Tucker

The Frighteners is also that rare horror film that actually gets better as it proceeds; this scare machine has a heart and a brain. Read full review

Jay Boyar

The movie has a lot going for it, including an array of imaginative special effects and Fox's expertly calibrated performance. [19 July 1996, p.17]

Kenneth Turan

Saucy, scary and pleasantly unsettling. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

At times the relentless special effects and tangled plotting veer towards visual and narrative overkill, but the final tonal swerve is shocking and effective. Read full review

Edward Guthmann

Smothers whatever merits it may have had in a rush of bells, whistles, bombast and smoke. Read full review

Jay Carr

It's technically sophisticated and intermittently engaging, and its showdown is more than up to genre standards. But fresh it isn't. [19 July 1996, p.G4]

Jonathan Rosenbaum

The ugly, aggressive, proliferating effects were all I could begin to contend with, and trying to keep interested in them was like trying to remain interested in a loudmouth shouting in my ear. Read full review

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User Reviews

mbeckford

Oct 21, 2020

"Frighteners" bombed at the time, but this is the movie where Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings demonstrated his filmmaking genius in story-telling, acting and special effects.

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JayDavies

Jul 21, 2020

A fun horror comedy from Peter Jackson. Very Tim Burton with the music and the visuals but that isn’t much of a criticism, more an observation. Get out there and watch it gang.

7/10 Jay x

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 22, 2021

This is quite a comical and wacky sci-fi/fantasy film. Its not really an especially scary film, although I suppose young kids may find some scenes frightening with the apparitions coming out of walls and floors etc. Its quirky and features some decent special effects for the time it datesThis is quite a comical and wacky sci-fi/fantasy film. Its not really an especially scary film, although I suppose young kids may find some scenes frightening with the apparitions coming out of walls and floors etc. Its quirky and features some decent special effects for the time it dates from (1996). The plot I thought was quite intriguing and while it did feel a little predictable, I found it overall a relatively engrossing watch, so I'd recommend it.… Expand

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HellHoleHorror

Jul 13, 2023

This was alright. It was a slightly more adult version of Ghostbusters (1984). The story was quite interesting and the effects were good enough to get by although the CGI hasn’t aged very well. The quality of the filmmaking was good but I just think that it was lacking that flair that youThis was alright. It was a slightly more adult version of Ghostbusters (1984). The story was quite interesting and the effects were good enough to get by although the CGI hasn’t aged very well. The quality of the filmmaking was good but I just think that it was lacking that flair that you used to get from Peter Jackson. Still it was a fun special effects film with an interesting story and a slightly different perspective on life, well more like death. Not too scary but slightly intense in some areas. Worth watching although it is pretty forgettable.… Expand

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