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The Swarm

Play trailer Poster for The Swarm PG,  1978,  1h 56m,  Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 5% 21 Reviews Tomatometer 19% 2,500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
5% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 19% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
Killer bees periodically interrupt the arch writing, stilted direction and ludicrous acting in Irwin Allen's disappointing and tired non-thriller. Go to Full Review
Jennifer Selway Time Out Jun 24, 2006
A number of journalists, rolling in the aisles with laughter, were ejected from the press screening. Go to Full Review
Janet Maslin New York Times May 9, 2005
Mr. Allen might just as well have devoted his talents to man-eating goldfish, poodles on the rampage or carniverous canaries. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Aug 26, 2021
1/4
The Swarm's arms-length vibe is perpetuated by its pervasive assortment of inept, incompetent elements... Go to Full Review
Richard Freedman Newhouse News Service Aug 5, 2021
[It's] a movie without a smidgeon of redeeming social esthetic or entertainment value: The Swarm manages to be both cruel to older actors by holding their failing techniques up to ridicule and to be at least subconsciously bigoted. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Mar 15, 2021
1/5
'...it's the soapy elements which truly chill the senses... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Luke S Apr 15, 2019 "...and on top of everything else you've got to worry about, now there's deadly killer bees, too!" Not to worry, bunkie, 'cause Irwin Allen's got your back with this stress relievin' answer to that particular worrisome concern. The actors (and there's a crapload of them, like a landfill of old actors particularly) shout their lines, lines that're hackneyed and shallow, in an attempt to convince you that they care about this crisis, that they care about this movie, but it's a laugh. Like sad laughter. Allen seems the big screen version of teevee schlockmeister Aaron Spelling, and this film, at best, an auto accident on the freeway - stop looking and just keep moving, please. Please. Okay, okay, it could be considered a fun guilty pleasure. That's a possibility. See more
Finn P Sep 9, 2017 Whoever told ot not told the good things of this brilliant movie, it is ahead of it's time in all the departments.
Poe W Oct 22, 2007 The greatst bad film ever made Hundreds of plastic chips invade Houston and cause Model Train crashes model power station crashes ans so on and so forth Sometruly terrible dialogue spouted by some truly great actors The giant bee hallucination is worth watching on its own. And richard Widmak knows that this film is bad and has a ball as a pissed off general i love this movie so bad its genius See more
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The Swarm

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Scientist Dr. Bradford Crane and army general Thalius Slater join forces to fight an almost invisible enemy threatening America; killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason. Disaster movie-master Irwin Allen's film contains spectacular special effects, including a train crash caused by the eponymous swarm.
Director
Irwin Allen
Producer
Irwin Allen
Screenwriter
Stirling Silliphant
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Bros.
Rating
PG
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 14, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2008
Runtime
1h 56m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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