Critters (1986)

Critters poster

New Line Cinema
Starring:
 Dee Wallace Stone, Scott Grimes
Directed by: Stephen Herek

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis:  A spaceship filled with vicious, hungry aliens lands near a remote farm owned by the Brown family.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The Browns own a Bengal tabby cat named Chewie. In an early scene, the family is gathering for breakfast in the kitchen. As the young boy Brad (Scott Grimes) enters the kitchen his dad Jay (Billy Green Bush) tells him to get Chewie off the table. Brad lifts the cat away from a plate where he is eating.

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes lifts Bengal tabby cat Chewie off table

Moments later when the mother Helen (Dee Wallace Stone) serves out some food Chewie jumps up into Brad’s lap to try to get something off the table. Moments later Brad sets Chewie on the floor again.

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes with Bengal tabby cat Chewie looking over edge of table and Brown family eating Billy Green Bush Dee Wallace Stone and Nadine Van Der Velde

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes setting down Bengal tabby cat Chewie with Brown family eating Billy Green Bush Dee Wallace Stone and Nadine Van Der Velde

Later in the film Brad is grounded and sent to his room. He hears Chewie meowing outside and opens the window. Chewie climbs up to Brad who hugs him and says “At least you like me!”

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie on roof

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie in window

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes kissing Bengal tabby cat Chewie in window

When Brad goes to sneak out of his room later that night, he sets a plate of food his father has brought him on the floor for Chewie.

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie eating from plate on floor

As the night progesses, the alien critters close in on the house. As they approach, the cat Chewie is sitting on a garbage can outside the kitchen window where Helen is washing dishes.

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie eating in garbage can in front of kitchen window with Helen Dee Wallace Stone inside

The critters startle Chewie who scrambles to run away, knocking a lid off the garbage can and scaring Helen.

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie on top of garabage can

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie hissing on top of garbage can

The family is eventually attacked and take shelter in the house as a couple of alien hunters arrive to capture or kill the renagade Crites (what the family calls critters). Brad hears Chewie and goes to find the cat. He sees Chewie jump onto the bed in his bedroom.

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie on bed

Brad picks up Chewie and then hears his sister calling from below. As he turns to the window, Chewie starts to growl and hiss, reacting violently to something behind them. Brad turns to find a giant critter closing in. Chewie wisely runs away.

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding hissing Bengal tabby cat Chewie

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie who hisses and struggles to get away animated gif

Chewie is not seen again until the end of the film when the family is surveying their destroyed home, which the Crites blew up as they tried to escape. Brad finds Chewie outside the ruins and picks him up.

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes reaching down to pick up Bengal tabby cat Chewie from ground

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes kissing Bengal tabby cat Chewie with Billy Green Bush in background

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie with Browns Billy Green Bush Dee Wallace Stone and M. Emmett Walsh

A moment later a device which one of the alien bounty hunters left for Brad starts to beep. Brad sets down Chewie to look at the device. Suddenly all of the debris starts to move toward the foundation of the house. Chewie is caught up in this pull and is dragged back toward the house as it reassembles.

Critters - Bengal tabby cat Chewie being dragged back toward reassembling house

Once the house in intact, Brad and the family find Chewie sitting in the mailbox. They all gather around to pet him.

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes pulling Bengal tabby cat Chewie from mailbox

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie with Brown family gathered around Billy Green Bush Dee Wallace Stone and Nadine Van Der Velde

Critters - Brad Scott Grimes holding Bengal tabby cat Chewie with Brown family gathered around Billy Green Bush Dee Wallace Stone and Nadine Van Der Velde

Final Mewsings: It takes a brave actor to hold a cat which is freaking out.

Many thanks to Nick Wale and T.j. Dotson for letting us know about the cat in this movie!


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