Quite possibly the best horror comedy of all time

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2017)

Gremlins is one of my favourite movies that seamlessly blends comedy and horror or as some might label it a horror comedy. Gremlins takes the innocent time of Christmas and takes a satirical yet dark spin on the holiday, highlighting societal issues of consumerism, patriotism and greed.
The film paints a pessimistic view on Christmas and how these issues can inevitably lead to chaos. It's a great metaphor for how the holiday is swept in ideas of consumerism, yet it's painted to be a time of joy and innocence.
What's funny about this movie is how it depicts these issues. The Gremlins are mischievous creatures who embody everything wrong with consumerism, once you break the rules everything can go wrong. It's a great satire on how American culture can't always take responsibility for commercial items. Mrs Deagle represents greed and her unlikeable character is hysterical because it epitomises the essence of greed.
Joe Dante alludes his premise to 1950's horror movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which are directly referenced in the film. It takes these concepts and takes a satirical spin, using the monsters as a metaphor not as a gimmick.
Gremlins is simply brilliant and I notice something new every time I watch the movie. It's not just a great movie to watch around Christmas, it's a great movie to watch all around.