Year: 2017
Runtime: 90 mins
Language: English
Director: Ryan Bellgardt
A man receives a peculiar box containing a dangerous secret: a creature that threatens his family. To ensure its survival and avoid its deadly consequences, he must pass the box on to someone he cares about, perpetuating a cycle of terror and passing the burden to another unsuspecting individual.
Get a spoiler-free look at Gremlin (2017) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In a snow‑dusted town where holiday lights flicker over quiet streets, an ordinary family finds their seasonal peace interrupted by a most unusual delivery. A plain wooden box arrives with a single, unsettling promise: inside lies a secret that could upend every cherished routine. The atmosphere blends the cozy nostalgia of the holidays with an undercurrent of dread, hinting that something small and seemingly innocent may hold a far larger, darker weight.
Randall Peltzer steps into the story as an inventive, well‑meaning father who is determined to bring a special gift to his son. His teenage child, Billy, is eager for a new companion, and together they meet the enigmatic Gizmo, a furry creature that arrives with three cryptic rules for survival. The creature’s caretaker, the mysterious Mr. Wing, offers a stern warning that the rules are not merely suggestions but a fragile line between order and chaos. As the family navigates the novelty of a new pet, the mundane concerns of everyday life—work, school, and the looming expectations of a perfect holiday—begin to clash with the uneasy feeling that they are being watched by something that does not belong.
The central tension of the tale revolves around a moral dilemma as old as folklore: to keep the creature’s secret safe, one must eventually entrust it to someone they love, passing both the wonder and the burden onward. This uneasy pact casts a lingering shadow over the household, suggesting that the true horror may lie not in what the creature does, but in what it forces the characters to confront about responsibility, trust, and the lengths they will go to protect those they care about. The story promises a blend of suspenseful humor and unsettling mystery, leaving the audience to wonder how far the cycle will go before it threatens to break.
Last Updated: September 20, 2025 at 16:47
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Stories where a small disruption quickly spirals into widespread destructive chaos.Explore more movies like Gremlin where a small trigger unleashes large-scale chaos. These films feature fast pacing, intense action, and a domino effect of destruction, perfect for fans of creature-feature horror and stories about uncontrollable situations spiraling out of control.
Narratives in this thread follow a clear cause-and-effect chain: a rule is broken, a box is opened, or an experiment goes awry, leading to a rapid and exponential escalation of danger. The structure is often straightforward, focusing on survival and containment as the threat multiplies.
Movies are grouped here based on their shared fast pacing and high intensity, driven by a chaotic and destructive plot. They deliver a tense, anxious, yet thrilling viewing experience centered on the theme of consequences spiraling out of control.
Monster stories that serve as a dark lesson about responsibility and consequence.Find more films like Gremlin that blend monster horror with a strong cautionary message. If you enjoyed the themes of responsibility and consequence, these movies offer scary stories with a deeper moral lesson about the dangers of tampering with the unknown.
The narrative pattern involves a character gaining access to a dangerous power or entity, often through curiosity or negligence. The story then unfolds as a direct consequence of their actions, forcing them to confront the fallout and ultimately learn a harsh lesson, sometimes at a great cost.
These movies are united by their use of horror as a vehicle for a cautionary tale. They share a focus on themes like responsibility, the cost of curiosity, and protecting family, often culminating in a bittersweet ending that emphasizes the lesson learned.
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Read a complete plot summary of Gremlin, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
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Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Gremlin. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
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