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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Travis Johnson Mr. Movie's Film Blog Aug 8, 2021

The Frighteners is absolutely bursting with the desire to entertain.

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Alex Behan The Post NZ Jul 8, 2021

It's a bonkers mix of comedy and horror by a brave, ambitious young director.

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David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Sep 21, 2020 2.5/4

There's ultimately little doubt that The Frighteners is at its best in its briskly-paced and thoroughly entertaining first half...

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Evan Narcisse The Young Folks Jun 14, 2018

There's not a boring moment in the film and almost every single scene adds new layers to the film's multiple mysteries.

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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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Charles Cassady Common Sense Media Dec 15, 2010 2/5

Violent, frenzied, foul-mouthed ghost comedy.

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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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Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily Jan 23, 2006 3/10

Despite being awful in almost every respect, The Frighteners does offer one small pleasure: R. Lee Ermey parodying his Full Metal Jacket drill sergeant character.

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Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Dec 4, 2003 3/5

It actually works up till its last few minutes.

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Dragan Antulov rec.arts.movies.reviews Nov 7, 2003 5/10

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Blake Davis KFOR Channel 4 News (Oklahoma City) Jul 14, 2003 4/5

An incredibly underrated scare-comedy from Peter Jackson that deserves a much wider audience.

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Jeffrey Westhoff Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) May 30, 2003 4/5

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Janet Maslin New York Times May 20, 2003 2.5/5

The actors can't keep the film's mood from verging on hysteria as the story roams all over the map. "The Frighteners" has flitted everywhere, even to heaven and hell, before it's over.

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Brian Mckay eFilmCritic.com Mar 18, 2003 4/5

Quirky Peter Jackson film that's half comedy and half horror/gore-fest. Mostly enjoyable results, although Fox a bit miscast.

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Luke Y. Thompson New Times Mar 7, 2003 4/5

Woulda been five stars, but the cop-out ending smacks of the test-screening process.

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Brian J. Arthurs Beach Reporter (Southern California) Feb 21, 2003 2/5

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