It's Alive

It's Alive

Year: 1974

Runtime: 91 min

Language: English

Director: Larry Cohen

Horror

A young couple's joy turns to terror when their newborn son is revealed to be a ravenous, grotesque creature. Driven by primal instinct, the monstrous child exhibits terrifying strength and threatens the family and everyone around them. The parents must confront the horrifying reality of what they've brought into the world and struggle to contain the unimaginable danger they’ve unleashed.

It's Alive (1974) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at It's Alive (1974) 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 quiet suburban setting, the promise of new life fills the air for a young couple on the brink of parenthood. Lenore Davis feels the weight of her upcoming birth with a mixture of excitement and a growing, inexplicable unease, while her husband Frank tries to balance his own anxieties with the desire to protect the fragile happiness they have built. Their modest world, anchored by routine and the support of close friends, suddenly feels poised on the edge of something far larger than ordinary family concerns.

The arrival of their child should mark a joyous turning point, yet the newborn quickly becomes a source of unsettling mystery. Subtle clues—a strange cry, an unnerving presence—suggest that the infant is not the innocent being they anticipated. As the couple grapples with this bewildering reality, the ordinary comforts of home begin to feel suffocating, and the line between parental love and primal fear blurs in unsettling ways.

Support arrives in the form of Charley, a trusted family friend whose steady presence offers a temporary refuge from the growing dread. Yet even with his help, the couple faces an escalating sense of paranoia, as whispers of hidden forces and corporate secrets hint at larger, unseen pressures shaping their fate. The atmosphere tightens, wrapping the household in a claustrophobic blend of domestic normalcy and eerie, inexplicable danger.

Caught between the instinct to shield their child and the terrifying possibility that something monstrous lies within, the parents must confront the unimaginable. Their struggle becomes a tense, emotionally charged journey through love, denial, and the dark shadows that can emerge when the miracle of birth is tainted by an unknown horror. The film lingers on this unsettling premise, inviting viewers to feel the creeping terror that lurks behind every ordinary moment.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 14:15

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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.

Movies about monstrous children like It's Alive

Stories where the most primal bond of parenthood becomes a source of terror.If the horrifying premise of It's Alive gripped you, explore more movies like it where the fear comes from within the family. These films focus on the terror of monstrous offspring, genetic horrors, and the emotional collapse of parents faced with an unimaginable reality.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a joyful expectation of parenthood that is violently inverted, plunging the characters into a desperate fight for survival against the very being they are meant to protect. The journey involves grappling with love, responsibility, and horror, often leading to isolation and a bleak realization.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on the family as the epicenter of horror. They blend body horror with heavy emotional weight, creating a uniquely disturbing experience rooted in the failure of a fundamental human bond.

Body horror and medical nightmare movies like It's Alive

Horror stories where the human body betrays itself in grotesque and terrifying ways.Fans of the gruesome body horror in It's Alive will find more chilling tales in this collection. Discover similar movies about genetic mutation, medical scandals, and visceral terror where the human body becomes the monster.

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Narrative Summary

Stories often follow a discovery or accident that triggers an uncontrollable physical change. The plot revolves around containment, understanding, and survival as the protagonist's body or a created lifeform becomes a source of relentless, graphic danger, frequently culminating in a futile struggle against a larger, repeating cycle of horror.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their reliance on visceral, biological terror. They share a high intensity, graphic violence, and a dark tone focused on the grotesque, creating a cohesive experience for viewers seeking this specific subgenre of horror.

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It's Alive Summary

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It's Alive Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in It's Alive

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Characters, Settings & Themes in It's Alive

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