A young man receives a Mogwai as a Christmas gift, but not knowing how to care for it, malevolent creatures emerge from it and terrorise the whole town.
Pure gold Christmas nostalgia. This review is not here to analyse Gremlins through the lens of filmmaking theory or technical innovation. Its purpose is far simpler, and far more heartfelt: to remind you why this remains one of the most entertaining and unforgettable films to revisit during the Christmas season.
Written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, 1990), directed by Joe Dante (Innerspace, 1987), and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Steven Spielberg – no introduction needed – Gremlins is chaotic, mischievous fun for most of the family. In a world where problems multiply faster than these creatures once they get wet, this is the kind of entertainment you need to escape.
The film displays a generous suspension of disbelief in its first act (Spielberg’s trademark), but rewards it then handsomely. The second act delivers energetic action, dark humour, and immense pleasure in watching practical animatronic creatures run amok. By the time the finale arrives, the film not only resolves its chaos but confidently sets the groundwork for Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). It’s no coincidence that Gremlins arrived in cinemas during an extraordinary year that also gave us Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Ghostbusters – 1984 was a gift to cinemagoers.
Viewed today, the film arguably feels more brutal for younger audiences than it did at the time. But generations change, and so does perception. The gremlins’ deaths are often shockingly graphic, and Kate’s tragic monologue about her father remains unexpectedly dark for a film marketed as family entertainment. Yet none of this diminishes the film’s appeal; it deepens it.
Despite not being directed by Spielberg, Gremlins carries his unmistakable imprint. As a producer, Spielberg shaped an entire decade of American cinema, and films like Gremlins, The Goonies, the Back to the Future franchise, and even Poltergeist stand as defining examples of that “Spielbergian” sensibility – films that balanced wonder, fear, horror, fantasy, humour, and emotional sincerity. True representatives of New Hollywood, of a time when mainstream cinema wasn’t afraid to be strange. By the way, we still revisit those years cinematically to this very day – see Stranger Things (2016-2025).
Gremlins remains timeless, mischievous, and joyfully anarchic. Again, pure gold nostalgia – and a Christmas watch that still bites.
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