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Arachnophobia (1990)

tomatometer

88

Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 33
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 4

Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features.

100

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 0

Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it's an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood's classic creature features.

audience

43

liked it
Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 208,579

My Rating

Movie Info

Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of

Jun 15, 1999

Buena Vista Pictures

Cast

All Critics (33) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (4) | DVD (10)

Frank Marshall's sophisticated feature directing debut never indulges in ultimate gross-out effects and carefully chooses both its victims and its means of depicting their dispatch.

March 26, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

First-time director Frank Marshall has long been Steven Spielberg's producer, and he's learned the master's lessons well.

April 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Newsweek | Comment
Newsweek
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That sound you hear in the background is the ''ugh!'' heard round the world. Luckily, ''Arachnophobia'' will also be generating its share of boisterous, nervous laughter.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's a one-joke movie, a funhouse ride, the cinematic equivalent of having a rubber spider thrown in your lap. But it doesn't matter if you reject the wispy script or the plot, which has as much substance as a spider's web; you'll jump every time.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
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Frank Marshall, a constant Spielberg collaborator, makes his directorial debut in this genial horror movie, a sweet infestation that creeps and crawls but wouldn't scare anybody.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is the kind of movie where you squirm out of enjoyment, not terror, and it's probably going to be popular with younger audiences - it doesn't pound you over the head with violence.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Preys upon that dread in a wonderfully cinematic manner, elegantly keeping the antics lighthearted enough to encourage a viewing, but eventually digging into spiderific panic -- pure candy to horror junkies on the prowl for the perfect thrill.

July 24, 2010 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | Comment
BrianOrndorf.com

Creepy/clever creature feature with touches of humor.

December 15, 2009 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Designed to reduce the audience to a squirming mass, the film yields plenty of grisly pleasures.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

Plenty of laughs, but the action scenes don't really generate much in the way of scares. Good enough for Sunday afternoon, though.

June 3, 2003 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment
Filmcritic.com

Spider terror -- overproduced and effects-driven, but adequate.

February 2, 2003 Comment
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Arachnophobia

Offbeat horror/comedy is neither "ha-ha" nor "shiver-shiver". It is simply a clever, delightful parody of how Hollywood scared its audiences--using spiders to make clear the true stupidity of those classic scenes.If you don't quite understand what I am saying, allow me to give you an example: The

August 7, 2011
spielberg00
Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

I watched with a Friend who has arachnophobia, still she wanted to watch this Movie very badly. Okay. It wasnt fun for me to hear her scream next to me whenever the Spiders appeared on the Screen and who has seen the Movie it was 95%, so anyone can imagine what Screams I had to suffer. lolLong time ago someone

December 11, 2009
ScoopOnline
Wahida K

Super Reviewer

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December 8, 2005:
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