The Frighteners

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The Frighteners

R,

1996,

1h 49m,

Fantasy/

Comedy

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Watchlist

65%

43 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

50,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Once an architect, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife (Trini Alvarado) of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent (Jeffrey Combs).

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Critics Consensus

Boasting top-notch special effects and exuberant direction from Peter Jackson, The Frighteners is visually striking but tonally uneven.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Aug 23, 2017

2/4

[Michael J.] Fox seems to be trying to get hip in the movies, and he's lost his way here.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Story was originally conceived as an episode of "Tales From the Crypt," and that is perhaps what it should have remained, as the thinness of the conceit shows throughout, painfully so in the first half.

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Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Jan 26, 2006

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

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Oct 13, 2024

2/5

Like a scatter gun hitting everything in sight, the movie has a maddening pace and is all over the place.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 22, 2023

4/5

The rare horror-comedy that is both funny and creepy, thanks to the charming cast and the inventive direction.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Oct 27, 2021

3.5/5

Twenty-five years on and what's striking about The Frighteners is how well the effects and Jackson's tension-building have held up.

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Ron S

Apr 20, 2019

The Frighteners is a lot of horrror with a lot of humor as well. Peter Jackson directed it and it shows as it's silly.

Han W

Mar 18, 2019

This has been a favorite since I first saw it when I was 12. Nearly 22 years later I can still enjoy it as much as I did all those years ago. It scared me back than but it's funny as well.

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Luke S

Mar 1, 2019

Although the acting, the special effects and the premise is good. The movie have difficulties to tell a worth-watch story

Jul 19, 2018

It is not a perfect movie, but "The Frighteners" knows how to deliver good special effects and some gags that can make you laugh out loudly a lot of times. Plus, the Peter Jackson's firm is present all the time, even if it's so Young here that gets lost sometimes

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Albus S

Jan 17, 2018

A very good film but trying to be a bit of everything. When it works it works but there are a lot of uneven plot elements...Its like Jackson tried to cover the whole genre with one movie. This is not a kids or family film...more a comedy/horror. The visual effects are the star of this movie and if it was streamlined it could have been a classic. Just lacking but an entertaining movie that will please horror fans

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Abraham M

Sep 10, 2017

Peter Jackson creates another Horror-Comedy thrill house with "The Frighteners". Michael J. Fox is fantastic, Jeffery Combs' performance is unnervingly unforgettable, and the rest of the cast pulls off their performances without any problems. The special effects have aged a bit but don't distract. The writing is often times witty with very funny dialogue but sometimes the rules of being ghosts isn't always the clearest. If you want to see what Peter Jackson did before he took the world by storm with the "Lord of the Rings" movies, this might be his best offering.

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Peter Jackson

Director

Michael J. Fox

Frank Bannister

Trini Alvarado

Dr. Lucy Lynskey

Peter Dobson

Ray Lynskey

John Astin

The Judge

Jeffrey Combs

Milton Dammers

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Synopsis

Once an architect, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife (Trini Alvarado) of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent (Jeffrey Combs).

Director: Peter Jackson
Producer: Jamie Selkirk, Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: WingNut Films, Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.5M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Stereo, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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