In a sleepy American suburban town, a teenager named Billy gets more than he bargains for when caring for his exotic new pet, the cute mogwai Gizmo. Billy has just three simple rules to follow, but his failing on all three counts results in a band of malevolent, mischievous gremlins escaping into his hometown as all hell breaks loose.
Like The Goonies, this is one of those Chris Columbus (written by) and Steven Speilberg (presented by) team-ups that feel essential to growing up in the 1980s. Directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins is an oddly dark Christmas movie that felt more family-friendly then than it does now, like Ghostbusters, which was also released in 1984, rewatches are notable for the number of they-wouldn’t-get-away-with-that-these-days moments. There’s something quite enjoyably of its time about watching cigarette puffing puppets ruthlessly murder people before being exploded in microwaves.
Gremlins is not your typical Christmas movie but it remains essential festive nostalgia. We love the Christmas cinema at HOME.
