The Frighteners

One of those films in which everything is just right. Peter Jackson brims with both fierce directorial and screenwriting ideas. The Frighteners is constantly entertaining, and black humor lovers are sure to really enjoy it. Michael J. Fox starring and music from Danny Elfman and the fantastic special effects of the Weta Studio make all those fiery dead and flying spirits a joy to behold. (20/02/2021)

The Frighteners won't rank among my very favorite movies. I think it's one of those movies I'm glad I saw, but once is enough. It doesn't change the fact that I had a great time, that Michael J. Fox had me mesmerized again, and that this is still a film that has great horror elements that work, even when contrasted with a rather humorous story that fits perfectly with Peter's classic early horror films. (04/07/2014)

Promo reel for Jackson's newly formed CGI factory WETA Digital. Unfortunately, almost everything is subservient to this, and the whole film, in its incoherence, feels like a good-natured drunk who's been allowed to talk for too long. Not helped by an obviously bored Michael J. Fox. But Jackson's directorial hyperactivity is otherwise still impressive (that camera just won't stand still! It just won't!), and Combs' creature feature with a tragicomic Mansonian backstory written all over it is one of the more memorable ones. Anyway, from today's perspective, The Frightenersis above all yet another reminder of the how digital special effects rapidly deteriorate over time. Whereas with Dead Alive you still end up thinking "Wow, how did they do that?", here you often just smile indulgently at the limits of computer graphics back then. On the other hand, if it weren't for this movie, LOTR wouldn't look the way it did, so some recognition is still in order. (25/06/2020)

The premise is great, the actors are brilliant, the execution is funny and creative, and yet there’s something missing. Or maybe there is so much that we gradually get lost in all the references, boogeymen killing boogeymen and boogeymen talking to strange people, and get so deep into Jackson's head that the very superficial, unoriginal and unexpectedly overwrought final act doesn't touch us and we are left with the familiar feeling of "this should have been different (and better)". I had fun the first time, the second time I would have to skip a lot between scenes, so a golden and harmless average – 60% (01/05/2014)

A pleasant ghost story with the traditionally excellent Michael J. Fox and perverted tricks. Jackson illustrates that the imaginative grand circles between comedy and horror don't give him any problems, although unfortunately this film has a certain touch of directorial routine. The character of the half-hearted spirit of the veteran is really great :o). Unpretentious, cool, but The Frighteners does not stand out in Jackson's filmography... (29/01/2004)