Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- zippy
- 90s nostalgia night
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the television-satire premise clever and the film energetic, but considered the execution uneven, witless, and tonally mismatched for both children and adults.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Roy and Helen must survive a sequence of fabricated programs including a game show, wrestling match, cartoon, and sword-fighting spectacle.
Roy's compulsive television viewing becomes literal entrapment inside a demonic 666-channel television world.
The film moves between domestic live action, parodic television sets, and a Chuck Jones-style animated sequence.
Spike's free satellite television trial secretly functions as a contract selling Roy and Helen's souls.
Films like Stay Tuned, and why
Pleasantville
fantasy parody, family relationship conflict, and comedic journeys through exaggerated media worlds
The Last Action Hero
family comedy built around television satire, heightened fantasy, and escapist entertainment
Bedazzled
irreverent fantasy comedy involving domestic problems, supernatural bargains, and cartoonish peril
Joe Versus the Volcano
playful genre parody, broad slapstick, and a protagonist learning to value family over escapism
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Hyams
- Release Date
- 1992-08-14
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (194)
Cast
- John Ritter
- Pam Dawber
- Jeffrey Jones
- David Tom
- Heather McComb
- Bob Dishy
- Joyce Gordon
- Eugene Levy
- Erik King
- Don Calfa
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Stay Tuned about?
- A television-obsessed husband and his frustrated wife are swallowed into a demonic channel-surfing nightmare and must outwit the devil to save their marriage.
- What is Stay Tuned like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Stay Tuned as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Stay Tuned violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Stay Tuned as mild.
- What did critics think of Stay Tuned?
- Critics generally found the television-satire premise clever and the film energetic, but considered the execution uneven, witless, and tonally mismatched for both children and adults.
- Which films are like Stay Tuned?
- Films with a similar feel include Pleasantville, The Last Action Hero, Bedazzled, and Joe Versus the Volcano.
- How long is Stay Tuned?
- Stay Tuned runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Stay Tuned?
- In United States, Stay Tuned streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
