Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- nasty
- irreverent
- late night horror marathon
- halloween party
What critics said
Critics broadly found Larry Drake's deranged performance and occasional visual flair memorable, but considered the slasher formula, screenplay, and forced comedy uneven and clichéd.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dr. Evan Rendell stages killings through surgical procedures and pursues a grotesque heart-transplant goal.
The film repeatedly combines Dr. Giggles's quips and laughter with surgical attacks on victims.
The escaped son of a mass-murdering doctor targets the town where his father was captured.
Larry Drake's deranged, giggling portrayal is the element critics consistently identify as the film's distinguishing feature.
Films like Dr. Giggles, and why
The Dentist
medical-themed slasher violence, dark humor, and a theatrical killer persona
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
wisecracking supernatural slasher villain and comic horror tone
The Final Girls
stylized 1990s slasher mechanics, revenge motivation, and self-aware humor
Maniac Cop 2
cult slasher energy combining grotesque killings with exaggerated comic performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Manny Coto
- Release Date
- 1992-10-23
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (182)
Cast
- Larry Drake
- Holly Marie Combs
- Cliff DeYoung
- Glenn Quinn
- Keith Diamond
- Richard Bradford
- Michelle Johnson
- Nancy Fish
- Sara Melson
- Zoe Trilling
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Night Flight Plus, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Dr. Giggles about?
- An escaped killer-doctor turns a small California town into a grim operating theater of surgical revenge and mordant jokes.
- What is Dr. Giggles like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dr. Giggles as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Dr. Giggles violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dr. Giggles as graphic.
- What did critics think of Dr. Giggles?
- Critics broadly found Larry Drake's deranged performance and occasional visual flair memorable, but considered the slasher formula, screenplay, and forced comedy uneven and clichéd.
- Which films are like Dr. Giggles?
- Films with a similar feel include The Dentist, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Final Girls, and Maniac Cop 2.
- How long is Dr. Giggles?
- Dr. Giggles runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dr. Giggles?
- In United States, Dr. Giggles streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Night Flight Plus, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
