PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   If you questioned the creative team behind Critters about whether Joe Dante’s Gremlins served as an inspiration, they would firmly deny it. Rupert Harvey told Den of Geek that the 1984 hit wasn’t really on their radar during development.

Although both films are horror-comedies featuring small, lethal monsters terrorizing a town, and Gremlins was a massive success just two years earlier, Domonic Muir actually penned the Critters script a year before Gremlins began filming. Harvey pointed out that while people see similarities due to Gremlins‘ popularity, Critters was a much smaller production.

Admittedly, Critters is a budget-friendly cocktail of popular sci-fi tropes. Roger Ebert famously described it as a “truly ambitious ripoff” of films like The Terminator and E.T., noting that Dee Wallace Stone plays a mother figure in both E.T. and Critters. However, while many poor Gremlins imitations like Hobgoblins or Munchies followed, Critters remains respected for its quality and creativity. It stands apart from lower-tier clones like Elves or Beasties, though Ghoulies and The Gate are often viewed more favorably.

New Line Cinema likely greenlit the project to capitalize on the monster movie trend, yet Critters carves out its own niche. The creatures, known as “Krites,” are intergalactic fugitives. They are intelligent, predatory, and can grow significantly if they consume enough—even snacking on a young Billy Zane.

The story begins with their escape from a prison in space, followed by shapeshifting bounty hunters. One hunter transforms into a rock star, while the other constantly changes appearance, baffling the residents of a Kansas farming community. By setting the story in the Midwest rather than the East Coast, the film establishes a unique atmosphere compared to Gremlins.

Unlike the Capra-inspired setting of Joe Dante’s film, Critters feels more like a secluded Western. The townspeople are more eccentric, and the threat feels more grounded in the dark, open frontier. The horror is more direct, with Krites using poison spikes and sharp teeth, though their subtitled conversations provide a comedic touch.

Despite the inevitable comparisons to Gremlins, Critters is more of a relative than a cheap imitation. Its mix of sci-fi, western, and horror elements makes it a standout B-movie. It may always be linked to its predecessor, but it is the only “copycat” that truly holds its own.

Critters is streaming on Tubi.